Some air pollutants in China have risen back to above last year's levels after dropping when the government imposed strict lockdown measures to contain the coronavirus pandemic, according to a study published Monday.
The rebound was likely due to industrial activity, the researchers said, adding there were concerns that after months of unusually low pollution levels, a drive to kick-start economic activity was causing emissions to spike.
"There are early warning signs that China's recovery from the COVID-19 crisis is reversing air quality gains," said the Helsinki-based Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), which produced the study.