India has the worst air pollution in the entire world, beating China, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh, according to a study released during this year’s World Economic Forum in Davos.

Of 132 countries whose environments were surveyed, India ranks dead last in the ‘Air (effects on human health)’ ranking. The annual study, the Environmental Performance Index, is conducted and written by environmental research centers at Yale and Columbia universities with assistance from dozens of outside scientists. The study uses satellite data to measure air pollution concentrations.

China will introduce stricter air pollution standards from next year to monitor tiny floating pollution particles in Beijing and other big cities but may not start releasing the results to the public until 2016, state media said on Thursday.

Swathes of urban China from the capital in the north to Guangzhou in the far south have been shrouded in acrid smog for parts of the winter, forcing people to wear masks or even avoid stepping outside.

China will introduce stricter air pollution standards next year to monitor tiny particles of pollution in Beijing and other cities, but it may not start releasing the results to the public until 2016, state news media reported Thursday. Chinese cities do not measure data on the smaller particles, 2.5 microns in diameter or less, from smokestacks and exhaust pipes that shroud many cities in acrid smog, and many Chinese have complained that official statistics vastly understate the problem.

The Obama administration on Wednesday unveiled the first-ever standards to slash mercury emissions from coal-fired plants, a move aimed at protecting public health that critics say will kill jobs as plants shut down.

Facing fierce opposition from industry groups and lawmakers from coal-intensive states, the Environmental Protection Agency said the benefits of the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards, or MATS, will greatly outweigh the costs.

The Environmental Protection Agency unveiled new standards on Wednesday sharply limiting emissions of mercury and other toxic pollutants from the nation’s coal- and oil-burning power plants.

The new rule, unless blocked by Congress or the courts, will be the first time the federal government has enforced limits on mercury, arsenic, acid gases and other poisonous and carcinogenic chemicals emitted by the burning of fossil fuels.

Six air-quality monitoring stations will start operation in January 2012 to keep records of the levels of air pollution in different parts of the country under the Clean Air and Sustainable Environment project.

Construction work of the stations in Dhaka, Chittagong, Sylhet, Barisal, Narayanganj and Gazipur are in full swing, officials at the department of environment said adding that the project would cost Tk 12 crore.

The Obama administration said Thursday that a series of new air pollution rules for power plants would not cause power shortages, although the expert panel designated by the government to ensure electricity reliability warns that compliance with these rules could strain generating capacity.

The Environmental Protection Agency, under fire from the utility industry and from Republicans in Congress for what they call excessive regulation, has sent signals that it will be flexible in applying the new rules and may grant extensions or exemptions to make sure the lights stay on.

NEW DELHI: A thick haze over Delhi on Friday has set the alarm bells ringing over growing air pollution in the city. While pollution normally rises during winter, Friday's level at places was more than 10 times the prescribed limits.

For instance, levels of oxides of nitrogen (NOx), the prescribed standard for which is 80 micrograms/cubic metre, were 811 and 760, respectively, at R K Puram and Punjabi Bagh at 7pm. Experts said usually such high pollution levels are not seen till later in the season.

Air pollution in Beijing reached 'hazardous' levels on Monday, the US embassy said, as thick smog blanketed the city for the third day running, forcing the closure of highways and cancellation of flights.

The Chinese capital is one of the most polluted cities in the world, mainly due to its growing energy consumption - much of which is still fuelled by coal-fired power stations - and the high number of cars on the road.

Public awareness campaigns about pollution seems to have paid off as the City recorded a decrease in pollution levels during Deepavali celebrations compared to last year. However, the number of firecracker-related accidents has increased.

Karnataka State Pollution Control Board chairperson A S Sadashivaiah on Friday revealed the noise and air pollution readings recorded during the three days of Deepavali celebrations.