Fireworks Contributes to 1,000 PM2.5 Over CNY, But Next Few Days Excellent

Margaux Schreurs | Feb 25, 2015 10:40 am | 1 comment | 2166 reads

The fireworks on the fifth day of the Lunar calendar (chuwu, last Sunday) proved a bit too much for the sky too handle. Throughout the day, there were only 30 PM2.5 particles per cubic meter of air. This was largely due to the cool weather, but made for pleasantly blue skies.

In the evening however, the situation changed drastically as everyone’s neighbor and their mother, ayi, shushu, and every tiny coat-wearing dog, had suddenly decided that setting off fireworks was their absolute favorite hobby, ever.

At around 7pm this was felt in the air, as the air quality started to drop, with PM2.5 and PM10 readings increasing gradually. At 6pm, the PM2.5 content was up to 50, and then 150 between 9pm and midnight.

The area around Xizhimen was worst off, reaching up to a total of 1,000 PM2.5 particles per cubic meter, Beijing News reports.

There is good news, thankfully: the next few days’ air quality is predicted to be excellent.

More stories by this author here.

Email: margauxschreurs@truerun.com
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Photo: chicaloccatours.com

 

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Re: Fireworks Contributes to 1,000 PM2.5 Over CNY, But Next...
Posted Feb 25, 2015 11:14am by mtnerror

This is a non-issue. It's the other approx 360 days per year that people should get up in arms about. Let people have their fireworks. Move along; nothing to see here.