Smog covered Beijing. Air traffic went haywire yesterday morning. 80 delayed flights and 43 canceled flights due to poor visibility
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves himIt's smog in again China where a thick blanket of smog sent the city into a tailspin. Some flights to and from the Chinese capital were also canceled due to poor weather visibility. In some cases, in fact, the latter was even less than 200 meters, especially at peak times.
According to what we read on China Daily, 80 flights were delayed and 43 were canceled yesterday. The air quality has therefore deteriorated due to the smog and pollution. According to figures released by the US Embassy at 7 am yesterday, PM2.5 (particulate matter less than 2,5 micrometers) was 513 micrograms per cubic meter. For this, the embassy issued a alarm for health, putting the Chinese authorities on alert.
According to what emerged from the environmental monitoring carried out in downtown Beijing, the capital has seen a rapid increase in the density of inhalable particles since the early hours of dawn due to the fog, especially in some areas of the south-east and south-west of the city. But the wind, in the following hours, seems to have partially cleared the air. At noon, in fact, the thick cloud of smog began to thin out, allowing planes to take off and land, also leading to an improvement in visibility up to 2 km. However, this is a terrible record.
The data also showed that the average air pollution index (PM10) around the US embassy was 212 micrograms per cubic meter, with sulfur dioxide readings reaching 70 and nitrogen dioxide reading 102.
And we run for cover pending the usual appointment with the Spring Festival, which will begin on January 23 next. The City has promised to take steps to reduce air pollutants, at least by that date, and to provide new data on PM2.5 along with those on PM10 soon.
"Even if the fog continues to disperse pollutants, the PM2.5 readings are not encouraging," said Wang Qiuxia, a researcher at Beagle Green, an environmental protection NGO based in Beijing.
But what are the main ones causes of this disaster? Together with the numerous coal-fired power plants, theair pollution of the Chinese capital is fueled by industries and automobile traffic. Last year alone, 240 new cars were added to the 5 million vehicles already on the road.
Francesca Mancuso
