Beijing air quality plummets amid dust storm and pollution
In Beijing, concentrations of tiny PM2.5 particles that can reach deep into the lungs and bloodstream entered a dangerous range on air quality monitoring sites, with the IQAir website showing an air quality index of 1,093, a “hazardous” level, many times higher than what are considered “unhealthy” levels. Skyscrapers disappeared into the haze and air quality plummeted as China’s capital was enveloped in a dust storm and heavy pollution on Friday, reported AP.
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A view of the Forbidden City, as the city is shrouded in smog amid a sandstorm, in Beijing, China. Beijing was formerly notorious for its terrible air quality, but conditions had much improved in recent years as authorities took heavily polluting vehicles off the roads and moved coal-fired power plants and heavy industry to the surrounding provinces, reported AP. (Tingshu Wang / Reuters)
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A view of the central business district shot through a glass window during a dust storm in Beijing. Skyscrapers disappeared into the haze and air quality plummeted as China's capital was enveloped in a dust storm and heavy pollution on Friday, reported AP.(Borg Wong / AP)
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People wearing face masks walk along a street during a day with poor air quality in Beijing. Concentrations of tiny PM2.5 particles that can reach deep into the lungs and bloodstream entered a dangerous range on air quality monitoring sites, reported AP. (Mark Schiefelbein / AP)
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A woman poses for pictures near the Forbidden City, as the city is shrouded in smog amid a sandstorm. The capital also used to be known for regular springtime dust and sandstorms caused by winds blowing in from the loess hills along the upper sections of the Yellow River to the west. Anti-desertification efforts have helped reduce both the frequency and intensity of the storms that had often turned the surrounding air a cataclysmic yellowish-red, reported AP. (Tingshu Wang / Reuters)
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