The Chinese Ministry of Environmental Protection has given an ultimatum to its major cities to reach their planned targets in reducing major air pollutants by 2017.

Environmental experts said that although the ozone poses a more difficult problem, the concentration of five major air pollutants have significantly decreased in 2014 in 74 major cities.

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For example, PM2.5, a fine particle that poses health hazards, saw a reduction of 11.1 percent per cubic meter in 2014, while the concentration of sulfur dioxide was reduced by 20 percent yearly..

The environmental body said the levels of nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, and PM10 also decreased.

Amid the reduction of several known air pollutants, experts warned that the rising level of ozone may require the country to drastically take more aggressive and comprehensive measures.

"It has become harder for governments to cut the emissions of airborne pollutants as more complicated problems pop up," He Kebin, head of School of Environment at Tsinghua University, said on Monday.

The ground level ozone, an air pollutant, has increased by 4.3 percent in 2014, reaching 145 micrograms per cubic meter.

The ground level ozone, unlike the protective layer of ozone in the upper atmosphere, increases the health risks of humans who are exposed to high levels of concentrations, said Fu Lu, the China office director of Clean Air Asia, an international non-governmental organization on Monday.

He Kebin  said that excessive concentrates of air pollutant ozone at the ground level are brought about mainly by complicated photochemical reactions. Ozone concentrates are known to have a close relationship with other air pollutants like nitrogen oxides and organic compounds.

The Chinese Ministry of Environment said it plans to further reduce the concentration of PM2.5 in Beijing from from 89 micrograms per cubic meter in 2014 down to 60 micrograms per cubic meter by 2017.

The country has seen cleaner air since the implementation of the June 2013 action plan, marking the national campaign against smog.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, upon assumption of office two years ago, vowed to provide cleaner air to the Chinese people.

He Kebin warned that the Chinese government will face tough challenges ahead in reducing air pollutants in China and some major cities won't be able to meet the planned reduction target that the government has imposed on them.

In a survey, environmental experts said lowering air pollution in Northeastern China will be tougher compared to the cities because of the greater pressures of economic growth and a lack of scientific guidelines.

Environmental officials in the northeastern provinces of China have appealed to Beijing to provide them air pollution control technology to curb the rising ozone pollutant in their air.

TagsChinese Ministry of Environmental Protection, air pollutants, Ozone, 2017, 74 major cities, China PM2.5 air pollution, health hazards, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, PM10, He Kebin, nitrogen oxides, ground level ozone, June 2013 action plan, smog, Northeastern China