Wang Yuanyuan

WATERS off Shenzhen’s western coast remain polluted and failed national quality standards in 2007, according to a report released by the Shenzhen Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau yesterday.

The quality of waters off the western coast was still under the Fourth Level of National Standards because of pollution from the Pearl River estuary, the 2007 Shenzhen Environmental Report said.

The main pollutants included nitrogen, phosphoric acid salts and intestinal bacterium.

There were a total of 361 days in 2007 when the air quality had met the national first-level (excellent) and second-level (good) standards, two days more than 2006. The city government imposed stricter measures last year to reduce vehicle emissions and closed 407 factories and restaurants that failed environmental standards.

The quality of sea water off the eastern coast had also met the national first-level standard, the report said.