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Sign up with Google Sign up with FacebookQ: Is it even safe to go outside in Beijing today?
It looks like doomsday outside my window right now and I dont have a facemask. Is it even safe to go outside? And why does Beijing's air quality fluctuate SO MUCH? Annoying!!!!
11 years 22 weeks ago in Health & Safety - China
On the day the poster wrote this post the air quality was in BJ was decidedly very poor at about 151.
What is the Beijing air pollution index and what does it measure?
The text line (above) is the air quality measurement from a monitoring station in the US embassy in downtown Beijing (depending on your location, you may need a VPN to view this). The station measures PM2.5 particles and ozone. "PM2.5" means particles that are smaller than 2.5 microns in size, like soot from diesel engines. Research shows that these are the most dangerous pollutants. The first part is the date and time. Then comes the measurement, then an index that is calculated from the measurement, then a health impact rating. Anything below 100 is good, anything above 100 is a cause for concern.
More information and research on the health risks posed by PM2.5 particles
What other kinds of pollution are in Beijing air ... and the risks
How to interpret the numbers?
The most important parts are the index and the rating. These are calculated according to US EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) guidelines
0-50 Good
51-100 Moderate (Unusually sensitive people should consider reducing prolonged or heavy exertion)
101-150 Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (People with heart or lung disease, older adults, and children should reduce prolonged or heavy exertion)
151-200 Unhealthy (People with heart or lung disease, older adults, and children should avoid prolonged or heavy exertion. Everyone else should reduce prolonged or heavy exertion)
201-300 Very Unhealthy (People with heart or lung disease, older adults, and children should avoid all physical activity outdoors. Everyone else should avoid prolonged or heavy exertio
So right about the fluctuation. One day it's blue, the next day skyscrapers all blend together in grayness. Man alive...
I can't find the article but I remember reading somewhere that based on the location of Beijing the smog gets trapped in Beijing when there's no wind or rain to clear it away. Kind of like when fog gets stuck in a valley.
No idea if that's true or not but it seems to be true because I've noticed whenever it rains or its heavily windy the air quality gets pretty good the next few days but you can see it slowly getting worse and worse.
Perfect example, yesterday (the day the poster was talking about) it rained a little bit at night and was a little windy early morning. Today the air seemed much better as a result.