Beijing's PM 2.5 Hits 647 on Chinese New Year's Eve, but Beijingers Bought Fewer Fireworks

Beijing's PM2.5 concetration reached a mere 647 micrograms per cubic meter at its peak during Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) celebrations, down 7.6 percent from 2016's peak, as fireworks sales fell about five percent, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

PM 2.5 concentration peaked at 700 during last year's Spring Festival, so 647 at 2am on Saturday is an improvement from, say, the atmosphere on Venus to the atmosphere on Jupiter.

It's the second highest level of pollution over Spring Festival's peak fireworks period of the last five years, with 2016 the worst.

However, to look at it as the Glass Half Empty, the AQI for the 24-hour period that included Chinese New Year's Eve (typically the peak time for fireworks) this year was 395, significantly worse than the same period over last Chinese New Year's Eve, which hit 238, according to data from the Ministry of Environmental Protection.

Saturday's 395 is not even good for the worst day over the past month -- that title belongs to Jan 1, when the AQI hit 470.

Multiple pleas by city officials to control residents' pyromaniacal tendencies fell on deaf ears. Regulations were aimed mostly at constricting supply by limiting the number of pop-up fireworks retailers within the Fifth Ring. Enterprising celebrants had no problem finding fireworks by merely heading out to the suburbs.

Despite this, sales of fireworks have decreased since 2011, the Beijing Municipal Environmental Monitoring Center said. Government officials have been ordered not to light fireworks themselves, in order to reduce air pollution. 

So why did the air still get bad? Part of it is weather: there's no controlling wind and temperature inversions. Additionally, Beijing's neighboring province of Hebei did not have nearly as many restrictions, so its residents blew things up with the same reckless abandon they have for past years. Pollution monitoring apps showed some cities in Hebei peaking at an amazing 1,838 micrograms per cubic meter during one overnight hour.

Fireworks will remain on sale until February 1, and may be used through February 11. They are banned within the Second Ring Road and restricted within the Fifth Ring Road. For all the rules and a couple of recommendations on where to buy things that can blow your hand/head off, see our article. 

For anyone chafing under these rules, head out to the bedroom community of Yanjiao, 30 kilometers east of Guo Mao. Officially part of Hebei province but not connected to any other part of it, Yanjiao enjoys complete fireworks freedom.

Photo: San Francisco Ballet