Once again, alarmingly high levels of toxic air pollution blanket cities in China. “The smog has become so thick in Beijing that the city’s natural light-starved masses have begun flocking to huge digital commercial television screens across the city to observe virtual sunrises.” I wonder if the many Chinese tourists visiting Tiananmen Square have these bright facsimiles in their home towns and cities, also quite polluted.
This New Zealand Herald article points to one major source of this acrid darkness: “Hebei, the country’s biggest steel producer, is home to as many as seven of its 10 most polluted cities, Xinhua (news agency) said.” Other sources are coal-burning boilers and heavily polluting vehicles.
The most dangerous effect of China’s poor air quality comes from extremely fine particulate matter PM2.5. “Scientific studies have linked increases in daily PM2.5 exposure with increased respiratory and cardiovascular hospital admissions, emergency department visits and deaths. Studies also suggest that long term exposure to fine particulate matter may be associated with increased rates of chronic bronchitis, reduced lung function and increased mortality from lung cancer and heart disease.”
Many think back to London’s “…Great Smog of 1952 [which] prompted Britain’s 1956 Clean Air Act.” Compare then in the UK to now in China, in this Foreign Policy slideshow. Quite the fashion statement? Unfortunately, none of those masks could stop the PM2.5 from wreaking its havoc.
Susie's Garden 