Beijing's environmental protection center has busted common myths about pollution with a list of 10 such rumors published ahead of the World Environment Day on Sunday.
The list is aimed at shielding the public who is increasingly concerned about environmental issues from erroneous information, as these mistruths could affect policy development and implementation, Liu Xiaokan, spokesperson for the Beijing Association for Science and Technology, told Xinhua.
One of the most common myths claims that vehicle emissions are not a major contributor to smog. However, official data show that vehicle emissions are the No.1 contributor to Beijing's air pollution and responsible for more than 30 percent of tiny, dangerous particulate matter PM2.5 in the local atmosphere.
"Downplaying vehicle emissions' role in pollution has raised questions over the necessity of green transportation," Liu said.
Other rumors have aroused public fears.
For example, a report citing the Ministry of Water Resources said 80 percent of China's groundwater is undrinkable. The ministry subsequently said 85 percent of the country's groundwater sources meets quality standards.
Another article claimed that lithium batteries are highly toxic, while the truth is the batteries generate no hazardous heavy metals and their electrolyte usually has no or low toxicity.
