Only eight in 74 Chinese cities monitored for pollution in 2014 met national standards, according to China's Ministry of Environmental Protection.
China declared a "war on pollution" last year, and the ministry said the results from last year were still an improvement from previous pollution reports. The "war" efforts include reducing coal use and eliminating factories that don't meet standards.
Reuters reports that China's standard, 35 micrograms of particulate matter per cubic meter, may not be a national average until 2030.
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