"Severe" air pollution blankets Chinese capital
Authorities in the Chinese capital warned of "severe pollution" and advised the capital's 20 million inhabitants to stay indoors.
Beijing's PM2.5 concentration - referring to particles smaller than 2.5 micrometres - reached 356 micrograms per cubic meter at 11 am on Saturday. That is in the highest band of the scale and is considered "hazardous," according to the US embassy's air-quality index reading.
The air-quality index reading earlier hit a winter high of 434 at noon on Saturday.
The daily maximum exposure to PM2.5 particles recommended by the WHO is 25 micrograms per cubic metre.
The particles pose serious health hazards because they can embed deep in the lungs.
Most pedestrians on the sidewalks of central Beijing were wearing face masks or holding cloths to cover their noses and mouths on Sunday, but many local staff at small businesses who spend most of their days outside did not bother.
"It is like this most of the winter. There is no point trying to avoid it," a mobile snack vendor said.
In recent weeks, pollution readings of 200 to 300 have been common in the capital, despite commitments from the government to improve the environment.
Beijing and many other northern cities in China are notorious for their winter smog, which is caused by a combination of air pollution and weather conditions.
The US embassy in Beijing recorded a PM2.5 peak of 900 micrograms in January 2013. The prolonged bout of record pollution that year prompted China to pursue more anti-pollution measures.
The Ministry of Environmental Protection has forecast severe pollution for Beijing and other areas of northern China until Tuesday, when strong winds are expected to clear some pollutants.
More than a quarter million people in China's biggest cities could have their lives cut short from high levels of air pollution, according to a recent joint study by Peking University and Greenpeace.
