The names of country's 14 polluted cities were released Monday, China's First Financial Daily reported.

China's environmental watchdog named and shamed the worst as part of efforts to improve China's environment.

Taiyuan, capital of North China's Shanxi province, well-known for its coal industry, stood out for its low water quality with four cities included on the black list: Zigong in Sichuan province, Yuxi in Yunnan province, Bozhou in Anhui province and Jiaxing in Zhejiang province.

Four cities are criticized for their light traffic noise contamination, including Wenzhou in Zhejiang province, Suzhou in Anhui province, Longnan in Gansu province and Urumqi in Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

Tonghua in Jilin province, Heihe in Heilongjiang, Lincang in Yunnan province, Jiuquan in Gansu province, and Anshun in Guizhou province were listed for the low level of infrastructure.

The pollution list was first released as part of a report on management and comprehensive improvement of environmental protection in key cities in 2003. The report is delivered every year by the State Environmental Protection Administration.

According to Yao Detian, spokesman of the administration, a total of 655 cities are on the ranking list and "the effect of the ranking remain to be seen, whether it will advance greatly or bit by bit."