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Beijing Suffers Most Severe Pollution in More Than Five Months

By Bloomberg News
Emissions rise from Huaneng Power International Inc.'s Gaobeidian thermal power station in Beijing, China, on Thursday, Jan. 17, 2019. China is facing its most difficult economic environment in years. The world's second-biggest economy is in a trade standoff with the biggest -- the U.S. -- and under pressure from President Xi Jinping's "critical battles" to reduce China's massive debt pile and clean up toxic air pollution. Photographer: Giulia Marchi/Bloomberg (Giulia Marchi/Bloomberg)

(Bloomberg) -- Beijing was hit by its worst pollution in more than five months on Saturday, as adverse weather conditions and manufacturing activities weigh on China’s efforts to clean up its air quality. 

The China Air Quality Index for Beijing stood at 282 as of 11:24 a.m. local time, the highest since May 23, according to a pollution meter published by the US Department of State. Local authorities warned vulnerable residents to reduce their outdoor exposure as the capital’s Ecological and Environmental Monitoring Center recorded the highest pollution level for eight districts in the city. 

The density of particulate matter 2.5, which is typically associated with factory emissions and car pollution, stood at 211 micrograms per cubic meter as of 11 a.m., compared to an average reading of 29 in the first three quarters of the year. 

Over the past decade, Beijing’s local authority has made progress in reducing air pollution by replacing coal with cleaner-burning natural gas, supporting electric vehicle uptake, and moving some heavy industry away from population centers.

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