Air pollution in Beijing spikes as city is hit by sandstorm again
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People posing for a picture before the China Central Television headquarters during a sandstorm in Beijing yesterday. The sandstorm caused the sky to turn yellow and reduced visibility to less than 1,000m.
PHOTO: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
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BEIJING • Beijing residents woke up to a yellow sky yesterday morning as northern China was hit by a second sandstorm in less than two weeks.
Air pollution readings surged to the upper limit of 500 at 8am, according to data from the city's environmental monitoring centre, as visibility was reduced to less than 1,000m in parts of the city.
Concentrations of PM10, the inhalable particles commonly associated with sand and dust, rose to over 2,000 micrograms per cubic metre at some monitoring stations.
Readings of smaller PM2.5 particles were above 300 micrograms per cubic metre, far higher than China's standard of 35 micrograms. PM2.5 particles are especially harmful because they are very tiny and can enter the bloodstream, while PM10 is a larger particle that can enter the lungs.
The China Meteorological Administration warned on Friday that a sandstorm was spreading from Mongolia into northern Chinese provinces including Shanxi, Liaoning and Hebei, which surrounds Beijing.
It said the recent sandstorms to hit Beijing had originated from Mongolia, where warmer temperatures this spring and reduced rain resulted in larger areas of bare earth, creating favourable conditions for sandstorms. The city's weather bureau advised residents to stay indoors as much as possible, citing health risks.
BLOOMBERG, REUTERS
