Air pollution kills millions in China

The burning of coal and oil contributes to 60 per cent of PM2.5 pollutants, or airborne particles smaller than 2.5 microns in diameter that penetrate the lungs. China had burnt 360 million tonnes of coal in 2013, more than the rest of the world combined, but much of the energy has been wasted in ill-performing steel factories which rely on government subsidy for survival, state-run China Daily reported.