Air pollution in Beijing reaches hazardous levels
Purchase this article for republication
Buy SPH photos-
Shoppers wearing masks walk in Beijing on Jan 12, 2013. China's capital city of Beijing has been shrouded in thicker-than-usual pollution for several days, with air pollution indexes reaching dangerous levels. -- PHOTO: AFP
-
Traffic makes its way through Beijing on Jan 12, 2013. China's capital city of Beijing has been shrouded in thicker-than-usual pollution for several days, with air pollution indexes reaching dangerous levels. -- PHOTO: AFP
-
A woman walks through traffic on a road during severe pollution in Beijing on Jan 12, 2013. China's capital city of Beijing has been shrouded in thicker-than-usual pollution for several days, with air pollution indexes reaching dangerous levels. -- PHOTO: AFP
-
A parking attendant stands on a roadside during severe pollution in Beijing on Jan 12, 2013. China's capital city of Beijing has been shrouded in thicker-than-usual pollution for several days, with air pollution indexes reaching dangerous levels. -- PHOTO: AFP
-
An infant wearing a mask (centre) is carried along a street in severe pollution in Beijing on Jan 12, 2013. China's capital city of Beijing has been shrouded in thicker-than-usual pollution for several days, with air pollution indexes reaching dangerous levels. -- PHOTO: AFP
-
A woman wearing a mask crosses a street during severe pollution in Beijing on Jan 12, 2013. China's capital city of Beijing has been shrouded in thicker-than-usual pollution for several days, with air pollution indexes reaching dangerous levels. -- PHOTO: AFP
-
Severe pollution clouds the Beijing skyline on January 12, 2013. China's capital city of Beijing has been shrouded in thicker-than-usual pollution for several days, with air pollution indexes reaching dangerous levels. -- PHOTO: AFP
-
A resident plays with a diabolo in a park during a heavily hazy winter day in Beijing Jan 12, 2013. China's capital city of Beijing has been shrouded in thicker-than-usual pollution for several days, with air pollution indexes reaching dangerous levels. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
-
A man walks along trees on a heavy haze winter day in central Beijing, Jan 12, 2013. China's capital city of Beijing has been shrouded in thicker-than-usual pollution for several days, with air pollution indexes reaching dangerous levels. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
-
People walk during a heavily hazy winter day in central Beijing, Jan 12, 2013. China's capital city of Beijing has been shrouded in thicker-than-usual pollution for several days, with air pollution indexes reaching dangerous levels. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
Shoppers wearing masks walk in Beijing on Jan 12, 2013. China's capital city of Beijing has been shrouded in thicker-than-usual pollution for several days, with air pollution indexes reaching dangerous levels. -- PHOTO: AFP
Traffic makes its way through Beijing on Jan 12, 2013. China's capital city of Beijing has been shrouded in thicker-than-usual pollution for several days, with air pollution indexes reaching dangerous levels. -- PHOTO: AFP
A woman walks through traffic on a road during severe pollution in Beijing on Jan 12, 2013. China's capital city of Beijing has been shrouded in thicker-than-usual pollution for several days, with air pollution indexes reaching dangerous levels. -- PHOTO: AFP
A parking attendant stands on a roadside during severe pollution in Beijing on Jan 12, 2013. China's capital city of Beijing has been shrouded in thicker-than-usual pollution for several days, with air pollution indexes reaching dangerous levels. -- PHOTO: AFP
An infant wearing a mask (centre) is carried along a street in severe pollution in Beijing on Jan 12, 2013. China's capital city of Beijing has been shrouded in thicker-than-usual pollution for several days, with air pollution indexes reaching dangerous levels. -- PHOTO: AFP
A woman wearing a mask crosses a street during severe pollution in Beijing on Jan 12, 2013. China's capital city of Beijing has been shrouded in thicker-than-usual pollution for several days, with air pollution indexes reaching dangerous levels. -- PHOTO: AFP
Severe pollution clouds the Beijing skyline on January 12, 2013. China's capital city of Beijing has been shrouded in thicker-than-usual pollution for several days, with air pollution indexes reaching dangerous levels. -- PHOTO: AFP
A resident plays with a diabolo in a park during a heavily hazy winter day in Beijing Jan 12, 2013. China's capital city of Beijing has been shrouded in thicker-than-usual pollution for several days, with air pollution indexes reaching dangerous levels. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
A man walks along trees on a heavy haze winter day in central Beijing, Jan 12, 2013. China's capital city of Beijing has been shrouded in thicker-than-usual pollution for several days, with air pollution indexes reaching dangerous levels. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
People walk during a heavily hazy winter day in central Beijing, Jan 12, 2013. China's capital city of Beijing has been shrouded in thicker-than-usual pollution for several days, with air pollution indexes reaching dangerous levels. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
BEIJING (AP) – Air pollution levels in China’s notoriously dirty capital have hit dangerous levels, with cloudy skies blocking out visibility and
warnings issued for people to remain indoors.
Local authorities have warned that the severe pollution is likely to continue until Monday.
The Beijing Municipal Environmental Monitoring Centre has reported air-quality readings between 176 and 442 from its monitors throughout
the greater Beijing area since Friday. The monitors measure the level of air-borne PM 2.5 particulates, which are tiny particular matters considered the most harmful to health.
The air is considered good when the reading is at 50 or below, but hazardous with a reading between 301 and 500, when people are warned
to avoid outdoor physical activities.
Monitors in urban Beijing all reported readings above 300 on Friday, and the centre's real-time readings showed Beijing remained heavily
polluted on Saturday with readings as high as 478 at 3 pm.
Monitors at the US Embassy in Beijing recorded an off-the-chart air-quality reading of 699 as of 3 pm on Saturday.
Readings are often different in different parts of the city and because the instruments used to measure the pollution levels are different.
According to rules issued by the city government in December, all outdoor sports activities are to stop and factories have to reduce their
production capacity if Beijing’s official air-quality reading goes over 500.
Air pollution is a major problem in China with its rapid pace of industrialisation, reliance on coal power, explosive growth in car ownership
and disregard to environmental laws.
In Beijing, authorities have blamed a lack of wind and foggy conditions for the high concentration of air pollutants.
Several other cities, including Tianjin on the coast east of Beijing and southern China’s Wuhan city, also reported severe pollution over the
last several days.