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Shanghai air to improve ... for just a day
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THE heavy pollution blamed on northern winds that hit Shanghai yesterday is expected to see a respite today, but air quality will worsen tomorrow due to a cold front, according to environment officials.
The city’s air quality index began to rise from yesterday morning, hitting 221 at noon, well above the 200 mark that delineates heavy pollution. The index continued to climb to 234 by 5pm with the tiny and hazardous PM2.5 particles the major pollutant.
Monitoring stations in the Pudong New Area and Putuo, Yangpu and Hongkou districts all reported PM2.5 density surpassing 200 micrograms per cubic meter in the afternoon, while the city average was 184 at 5pm — over seven times the WHO recommended standard of no more than 25 micrograms per cubic meter within a 24-hour period.
Shanghai Environmental Monitoring Center said wind blowing pollutants into the city from the north was the major cause. Northern cities of Beijing and Tianjin and Hebei, Henan, Shandong, Shanxi and Shaanxi provinces have been experiencing dense smog since the weekend.
The center said there would be a slight improvement today thanks to an east wind bringing in cleaner air. The AQI is forecast to be between 95 and 115, or slightly polluted, this morning, and come down to between 70 and 90, or good, by the afternoon.
However, tomorrow’s cold front is expected to hamper the dispersal of pollutants.
The city’s environmental protection bureau took emergency measures at 1pm yesterday, including calling a halt to work at some construction sites and road repairs around the city. Trucks and other heavily polluting vehicles were banned from roads within the outer ring.
Most construction sites suspended operations, according to the bureau‚ but a few smaller sites were found to have continued with their work.
One concrete mixing station in Minhang District failed to comply with the bureau’s request and the dust it created was polluting local roads.
It was closed down and ordered to introduce measures to cut down on pollution.
Many schools canceled outdoor activities yesterday. Shanghai Primary School in Xuhui District canceled physical exercises. Wuning Road Primary School in Putuo District held PE classes indoors and students watched the national flag raising ceremony on TV in class instead of standing on the playground.
Shanghai Meteorological Bureau had issued an orange alert for heavy fog at 2am as visibility in some areas, including Baoshan District and Chongming Island, was down to less than 100 meters.
More than 10 highways were partially closed until 10am due to the poor visibility.
Ferry boats to Chongming Island were also temperately suspended due to the fog.
More than 100 flights were canceled at Pudong International Airport last night due to poor visibility.
Spring Airlines canceled all inbound flights at 10pm, while those about to land were diverted to Hongqiao Airport.
China Eastern and China Southern airlines issued flight delay alerts for Pudong and told passengers to check flight information before deciding to leave for the airport.
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