Beijing reported better air quality during the week-long Spring Festival holiday with fewer people setting off fireworks and better weather conditions.
The average concentration of PM2.5, airborne particles smaller than 2.5 micrometers in diameter that pose serious health risks, fell 51.3 percent from last year's Lunar New Year holiday to 38 micrograms per cubic meter from Feb. 4 to 10, said the Beijing Municipal Ecological Environment Bureau.
The city only experienced one slightly polluted day during the week.
Local residents were banned from setting off fireworks within the fifth ring road and also in some parts of the suburban areas during the Lunar New Year holiday.
Due to the tougher restrictions, fireworks sales had fallen over 20 percent by Saturday afternoon.
The noise pollution, as a result, hit new low levels.
The noise levels during two major periods for Spring Festival celebrations, one on the New Year's Eve and one on the fifth day of the first month in the lunar year, fell by 2.7 decibels and 3.3 decibels to 57.9 decibels and 50.6 decibels, respectively.
