Another Day, Another Wave Of Smog; Shanghai At 15X WHO Maximum Standards (12/26)
SHANGHAI — Shanghai warned children and the elderly to stay indoors yesterday as smog enveloped China’s commercial hub. Levels of the worst pollutants surged to more than 15 times World Health Organization guidelines.
The level of PM2.5 pollutants reached 395.7 micrograms per cubic meter at 3 p.m., the city’s environmental-monitoring center said. The WHO recommends exposure of no more than 25 over a 24-hour period for particles smaller than 2.5 microns in diameter, which are more dangerous than other particulate matter.
China’s cabinet, the State Council, lists worsening pollution among the looming challenges the country faces, the official Xinhua News Agency reported on Wednesday. Heavy smog might undermine plans for Shanghai — often considered to be cleaner than other Chinese cities — to attract foreign investment and multinational firms, as the city implements a free-trade zone as part of a broader goal to become a global financial and logistics center by 2020.
Shanghai had record levels of smog earlier this month, forcing flight cancellations and prompting the government to order vehicles off the road. The pollution index surged to 482 on Dec. 6, reaching the highest “severe” level, according to the China Daily newspaper.
EDIT
http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/national_world/2013/12/27/chinese-city-choking-under-dense-smog.html
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