Shanghai will release readings of PM2.5 -- fine airborne particulate matter 2.5 microns or less in diameter -- by the end of this year, local environment protection authority said on Friday.

Shanghai will release readings of PM2.5 -- fine airborne particulate matter 2.5 microns or less in diameter -- by the end of this year. [File photo]

Installation of Shanghai's main monitoring equipment finished at the end of May and the networking and debugging of the equipment will be conducted in June, said Zhang Quan, head of the Shanghai Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau.

According to Zhang, the sources of the PM2.5 pollution have been initially identified and the city plans to invest more than 10 billion yuan (US$1.57 billion) in 50 air pollution clean-up programs.

Beijing began to release hourly PM2.5 readings in January. The PM2.5 gauge is considered stricter than the previous PM10 standard, which monitors larger particulate matter.

The Ministry of Environmental Protection has required 74 cities, including Shanghai, to release PM2.5 monitoring results by the end of December.