Want China Times, Xinhua 2013-12-03
A pedestrian wears a face mask in Shanghai, Dec. 2. (Photo/Xinhua) |
Smog
shrouded the skyline of China's financial hub Shanghai as air pollution in the
city hit its worst level on Monday.
Air quality
in Shanghai was recorded at 303 on the official Air Quality Index (AQI) on
Monday morning, crossing the 300 threshold that indicates the most severe level
of air pollution on the chart.
The AQI
monitors six pollutants on an hourly basis, including PM2.5, or particles
measuring less than 2.5 microns in diameters, which has been widely blamed for
the worsening air pollution across China in recent years.
Shanghai's
environmental watchdog listed PM2.5 as the major pollutant on Monday, without
disclosing detailed readings.
The World
Health Organization sets a daily guideline value for PM2.5 at 25 micrograms per
cubic meter, while it has been around 10 times this volume in Shanghai in
recent days.
Shanghai
saw deteriorating air quality over the weekend. The AQI index rose above 230 on
Sunday, when the city held its annual Shanghai International Marathon.
The PM2.5
reading also hit 248 micrograms per cubic meter on that day, according to the
Shanghai Environmental Protection Bureau.
The
marathon took place as usual despite the heavy pollution. Some
participants wore masks.
The
dangerous level of pollution has prompted Shanghai authorities to curb
industrial production and activities at construction sites and docks that may
add dust to the air. Citizens are advised to stay indoors.
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