Air pollution refers to a condition of the Earth's atmosphere when harmful or excessive amounts of substances, including biological molecules, particles, and gases, are released. As China's economy grew, so did energy consumption. This energy consumption relied heavily on coal; and as the population increased, the growth of vehicles imposed a heavy burden on the urban atmosphere in China, alarming for a major environmental problem (Kabin he, 2002). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”?Get the original essayEnvironmental and socio-environmental impactAs coal remains the main source of energy, constituting 75% of energy sources, the atmosphere from China contained mainly coal smoke, with high levels of suspended particulate matter (PM) and sulfur dioxide (SO2). This has caused a major concern for outdoor public health. The World Bank has estimated the total health cost of this situation at 520 billion Chinese yuan, or 3.3% of China's total GDP. This situation has worsened in urban cities due to industrialization. In 2004, the average annual concentration of PM10 in urban cities was 140 micrograms per cube of air (compared to 70-75 being the average). This unhealthy air has led to multiple health risks, such as changes in respiratory, pulmonary, immune function and other clinical symptoms (Haidong Kan, 2009). According to a CUHK study, air pollution caused 1.1 million premature deaths in China. with the destruction of approximately 20 million tonnes of wheat, soybeans, rice and corn (Kao, 2018). SolutionCurrently, the above situation of China is improving and potential technological changes in the future can bring significant improvements in air quality, thereby leading to better public health status. These improvements will take place as the country moves from business as usual (BAU) to advanced coal gasification technologies (ACGT). This will essentially reduce coal emissions into the air, resulting in better air quality (Xiaoping Wang, 2006).