Air pollution continues to blanket northern China

World Today

Beijing has raised its air pollution alert to the second-highest level of orange, as smog envelopes northern China for a third straight day. Authorities warned residents to take precautions. CCTV America’s Tang Bo reports from Beijing.

The Beijing alert advised people to reduce their outdoor activities, and the elderly and those with heart and lung problems were highly recommended to stay indoors.

The PM2.5 level, which measures the amount of fine particles in the air, was more than 400 micro-grams per cubic meter, 18 times the World Health Organization’s recommended safe level. Fine particles can lodge deep inside the lungs and are very dangerous to human health.

In Beijing’s central business district, buildings are barely visible through the smog.

China’s heavy air pollution is attributed to its enormous use of coal to generate electricity to power its growing economy as well as an increased number of vehicles on the roads.