China's air quality fallen after World Expo

The air quality in China has dropped as pollution hits new records following the end of the World Expo.

During the six-month event Shanghai made an effort to show the world that it was a developed city by suspending work at factories and keeping the streets clean to improve the metropolis' air quality.

However, efforts to reduce pollution have not been sustained since the expo ended on October 31st 2010, Reuters reported.

Speaking with the news provider, Lisa Jin, student at East China Normal University in Shangha, said: "During the expo, the government was very conscious about our air quality and wanting to give foreign visitors a good impression."

More than 73 million people visited the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai to hear about the government's plans to make the country an international community focused on sustainable development.

Chief executive of clean technology from IQAir China Mike Murphy said that the "extreme measures" that were taken during the event were only temporary, which is likely to be the reason why air quality in the city has dropped since.

He stated: "They are not realistically sustainable."

Posted by Claire Manning