Home / Environment / In Pictures Tools: Save | Print | E-mail | Most Read | Comment
Snowfall helps clear Beijing air pollution
Adjust font size:

Beijing's first snowfall this winter has helped reduce the pollution level. The air pollution index (API) dropped from a high of 247 on Tuesday to 162 Wednesday, meteorological authorities said.

People walk along a snow-covered section of the Great Wall in Beijing Wednesday. [China Daily]

People walk along a snow-covered section of the Great Wall in Beijing Wednesday. [China Daily


A cold front is forecast for the capital in the coming week and will further reduce the API to about 100, barring a big change in emissions, Li Xin, chief engineer of the Beijing municipal environment protection bureau, said.

"Beijing is surrounded by three mountain ranges and the coming rain, winds and snow could have a positive impact on the capital's air quality," Li said.

She said the pollution index is still high.

An API of 51 to 100 indicates fairly good air quality, the China Environmental Monitoring Center said.

An index of 101 to 150 means slight pollution, while an API in excess of 200 means severe air pollution.

Beijing commuters should make more use of public transport to reduce emissions, she said.

On Jan 1, new measures will be introduced to move coal-burning industries out of the city. "They will be replaced with ones that use gas to help reduce pollution," Li said.

On Tuesday, Beijing experienced one of its most polluted days, with the index hitting 247 citywide and 399 in the southern outskirts.

Hospitals have reported a rise in recent weeks in the number of people seeking treatment for respiratory ailments.

Zhang Shunan, a doctor at the China-Japan Friendship Hospital, said: "I have been treating up to 60 people a day.

Half of them were elderly suffering from coughs because of the polluted air."

Deng Yu, who is seven months pregnant, said she suffered from throat pains when she got up on Tuesday morning.

"I kept tearing when I went out shopping. I was told such conditions are caused by excessive sulfur dioxide in the air," she said.

1   2   3   4    


Tools: Save | Print | E-mail | Most Read
Comment
Pet Name
Anonymous

China Archives
Related >>
- Mutianyu section of the Great Wall covered with snow
- Snow-covered Mutianyu section of the Great Wall
- Heavy fog strands thousands at Xinjiang airport
- Icy weather sweeps nation, strands travelers
- Cold air sweeps through China
NGO Events Calendar Tips
- Environmental English Training (EET) class
- Hand in hand to protect endangered animals and plants
- Changchun, Mini-marathon Aimed at Protecting Siberian Tiger
- Water Walk by Nature University
- Green Earth Documentary Salon
More
Archives
Sichuan Earthquake

An earthquake measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale jolted Sichuan Province at 2:28 PM on May 12.

Panda Facts
A record 28 panda cubs born via artificial insemination have survived in 2006.
South China Karst
Rich and unique karst landforms located in south China display exceptional natural beauty.
Saving the Tibetan Antelopes
The rare animals survive in the harsh natural environment of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.
More
Laws & Regulations
- Forestry Law of the People's Republic of China
- Meteorology Law of the People's Republic of China
- Fire Control Law of the People's Republic of China
- Law on Protecting Against and Mitigating Earthquake Disasters
- Law of the People's Republic of China on Conserving Energy
More
Links:
State Environmental Protection Administration
Ministry of Water Resources
Ministry of Land and Resources
China Environmental Industry Network
Chengdu Giant Panda Research Base