Pollution in north hits 20 times safe levels
Print Edition
DAYS of heavy smog shrouding swathes of northern China pushed pollution to more than 20 times safe levels yesterday, despite government promises to tackle environmental blight.
Visibility dropped dramatically as measures of tiny PM2.5 pollutant particles, which can embed themselves deep in the lungs, reached more than 500 micrograms per cubic meter in parts of Hebei Province bordering Beijing.
The World Health Organization’s guideline for maximum healthy exposure is 25.
In the capital, buildings were obscured by a thick haze, with PM2.5 levels staying above 300 micrograms per cubic meter since Wednesday afternoon and authorities issuing an “orange” alert.
“It’s very worrying, the main worry is my health,” said a 28-year-old marketing worker surnamed Hu, carrying an anti-smog mask decorated with a pink pig’s nose as she walked in central Beijing.
China has for years been hit by heavy air pollution from huge use of coal to generate electricity for a booming economy, and more vehicles on the roads.
But public discontent about the environment has grown, leading the government to declare a “war on pollution” and vow to cut coal use in some areas.
Nonetheless, poor air quality has persisted with cities continuing to focus on growth, and lax enforcement of environmental regulations remains rife.
In a sign of growing environmental activism, Greenpeace East Asia projected the message “Blue Sky Now!” onto a facade of the Drum Tower, a historic building north of the Forbidden City.
The pollution comes as the city hosts a high-profile cycling tournament, the Tour of Beijing, and Brazil plays Argentina in a football friendly today.
Global heads of state from the US, Russia and Asia are set to gather in the capital for a key summit next month.
City authorities said that they will place tighter restrictions on vehicle use during the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in November, while requesting neighboring areas to shut down polluting facilities.
But most locals were not wearing protection yesterday.
Sitting in a Beijing park 82-year-old Liu Shuying said: “There are too many cars. I don’t wear a mask because I’m not afraid of death.”
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