BEIJING - China is preparing to launch a nationwide system to monitor PM 2.5, the tiny particles that contribute to smog, a senior disease control official said.

Ultimately, air pollution data will be correlated with medical records like hospital visits and deaths to provide more targeted intervention, said Xu Dongchun, deputy director of the institute for environment health of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

“By studying the links between the two, we hope to assess the exact health risks imposed by fine particulates, set health standards for certain pollutants, specify levels beyond which the air is unhealthful, and issue timely alerts,” Xu told China Daily.

The new monitoring system will be the first systematic study of its kind in China, reflecting the government’s recognition of the challenge, she said.

According to Xu, the new system will be tried first in Beijing and then expanded to five regions hit relatively hard by smog before going nationwide.