On Friday, the Beijing Municipal Government issued the first orange pollution alert ever, advising of heavy, sustained smog through until Monday, February 24 and suggesting that residents reduce time outdoors.
The pollution alert was upgraded from a yellow advisory issued earlier on Friday, with heavy smog expected to linger until Monday. Officials said the pollution could last a week seeing as there is no expected weather front to come push the smog out of the area. Neighboring Hebei province and Tianjin municipality will also be affected.
The pollution alert system was instituted in the autumn of 2013, and ranks air quality levels, from best to worst, as blue, yellow, orange, and red. An orange alert means that PM 2.5 readings will fall between 200 and 300 for at least three consecutive days. Residents are encouraged to reduce time spent outdoors, and to wear protective masks.
In a report by Greenpeace China released on Wednesday, Beijing ranked 13th out of 74 cities in China for pollution. Out of the top ten, seven of China's most polluted cities were in surrounding Hebei province.
Pollution has sadly become a bit of a cottage industry in Beijing. Designer masks are now available, and both international authors and local columnists have commented on the situation.
Photo: BBC News
The air quality index right now is 533 which has gone above the max level of air quality classification (500)
These blue...orange...red...rainbow color alarts don't really sound very informative. They need to change those into something like HAZARDOUS.....DEADLY.....you know..more intimidating..
Born sinner...
The forecast calls for the smog to continue until Thursday.
And remember: this is just an ORANGE ALERT. There is still a red alert level that seems reserved for firery brimstone and falling meteors and whatnot.
And: Help fund independent research to determine the best air pollution masks.
EDIT: I stand corrected. The red alert has been issued temporarily and lifted. Don't know about the chance of falling meteors.
For those short on cash, the DIY filters made by the guys over at www.smartairfilters.com are just as good as the high priced ones, according to their tests. A friend of mine also used a hand held air tester to verify their claims.
I have the Panasonic brand filters, and have been pretty happy with those. We'll be changing the filters regularly, and I also noticed that scraping off the dust that accumulates on the outside of the filter helps it to work more efficiently.
www.myhealthbeijing.com has several recommendations of filters and masks.
Guys... TIME TO BUY A DECENT AIR PURIFIER.
I highly recommend Alen Air, imported from the States. Can buy directly from Shanghai distributor.
And no, I don't work for them. I bought two of their largest units last year during January's air-pocalypse. Those two units have made my 87-square-meter apartment a haven right now. Just change the filters every three months... The recommended 6-month life of the filters is halved in Beijing's abysmal air.
Doubt wisely; in strange way / To stand inquiring right is not to stray; / To sleep, or run wrong, is. (Donne, Satire III)
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