Chinese scientists have discovered that soot aggregates are the most harmful particulate matter measuring 2.5 micrometers (PM2.5).

Xinhua reported that soot aggregates are one of the four major PM2.5 group. This particulate is known to be quite sticky and can also cause skin irritation. Soochow University, the College Engineering of Peking University (CEPKU), and China's Center for Disease Control and Prevention agreed on the findings.

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CEPKU Dean Duan Huiling said that soot's stickiness will cause the irritant to stay in the skin longer.

Soot aggregates are mostly made up of carbons. They form in the atmosphere when hydrocarbon devices such as motor vehicles do not complete a combustion cycle.

The presence of soot aggregates has been confirmed in many Chinese urban areas including Beijing. However, the Chinese capital has experienced a steady decline of PM2.5 pollution in the first six months of this year.

Beijing's environmental agency reported a decline of around 15 percent based on data gathered between January and June 2015.

Aside from PM2.5, other toxic chemicals including PM10, nitrogen, and sulfur dioxide have also been reducing in the city.

Beijing residents were able to enjoy almost 3 months of air pollution-free skies. This is an improvement of more than a week compared to the same time period in 2014.

The city's environmental chief engineer, Yu Jianhua, said the cap on vehicles, factories and other sources of emissions along with good weather are the main factors behind the reduction of air pollution in Beijing.

City regulators have ordered more than 500 contractors to pay a sum of around 10 million yuan ($1.6 million) in fines due to the  level of dust they emitted in their construction work. More than 175,000 dilapidated motor vehicles have also been banned from the city streets because of their high emission rates. For the first half of 2015, the Beijing local government has filed more than 1,400 criminal cases involving environmental pollution.

Tagssoot aggregates, Chinese environment, Beijing Air Pollution, beijing smog, Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau, China environmental pollution, chinese pollution, beijing environmental law