The program to combat pollution will place greater emphasis on monitoring, gathering and releasing information and tackling PM2.5, the minister leading the fight for cleaner air told a major anti-pollution conference.

Environment Minister Zhou Shengxian said on Thursday that 39 more cities will start monitoring PM2.5 and release the readings to the public by December.

Similar monitoring was initiated by 74 cities in 2012. Readings of PM2.5 - particles whose diameters are smaller than 2.5 micrometers that can enter the lungs and bloodstream - are one of the six indicators that are being publicized. The other five are readings of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, respirable particulate matter (PM10 or smaller), ozone and carbon monoxide.