Smog in PVG, PEK-BJS
Jan 22, 2015, 5:06 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: ORD
Programs: AAdvantage
Posts: 37
Smog in PVG, PEK-BJS
I need the help of fellow FTs. I do travel a lot to Shanghai and Beijing, normally smog does not bother me but this time i am having all kinds of upper respiratory problems. How do you guys deal with it? What do you use to breathe better when in Beijing and Shanghai? any tips or tricks?
Jan 22, 2015, 5:20 pm
#2
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 1,934
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 7_1_2 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/537.51.2 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/7.0 Mobile/11D257 Safari/9537.53)
Most people would use a face mask to try filtering out the particulates. A mask wouldn't help against NOx though.
Most people would use a face mask to try filtering out the particulates. A mask wouldn't help against NOx though.
Jan 22, 2015, 7:19 pm
#4
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: 대한민국 (South Korea) - ex-PVG (上海)
Programs: UA MM / LT Gold (LT UC), DL SM, AA PLT (AC), OZ, KE; GE and Korean SES (like GE); Marriott Gold
Posts: 1,995
An N99 mask will take care of particulates; just make sure it is worn correctly. NOx and SOx mightalso be a problem, but these are not easily removed except for a respirator (which most people would not want to wear in public). You might try to reduce your time outdoors and stay where there is filtered/air conditioned air. BTW, it's not just China; much of the Chinese "yellow dust" is of a aerodynamic particle size that it gets to Korea, where it drops (hwang sa), usually in the Springtime.
Jan 22, 2015, 10:57 pm
#5
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 602
The pollution is also very bad in Taipei (and most of Taiwan, in general).
I'd suggest to, first, monitor the situation. This is one convenient website:
http://aqicn.org/map/
There's also a free app.
On the "bad" days (PM2.5 index > 130-150, although there isn't really a safe lower bound) I wear a (disposable) mask. It's important to choose a good one, as the quality varies. Apparently some of the Chinese brands only stop 10% of the pollution. I found the following information useful:
http://www.myhealthbeijing.com/pollu...n-mask-for-me/
This is a blog of an MD in Beijing. He seems to have put a lot of effort to compare different choices available, with some surprising results. There is a lot of information there but to sum it up, it seems 3M products are a good choice: 3M 90xxV should stop at least 90% of the dust (the V is for the vent, which makes it slightly more comfortable to wear).
There's also the 3M 95xx series (>95%). The masks should be very cheap (even more so if you buy them in bulk) and each should last for at least a week, depending on your usage.
I'd suggest to, first, monitor the situation. This is one convenient website:
http://aqicn.org/map/
There's also a free app.
On the "bad" days (PM2.5 index > 130-150, although there isn't really a safe lower bound) I wear a (disposable) mask. It's important to choose a good one, as the quality varies. Apparently some of the Chinese brands only stop 10% of the pollution. I found the following information useful:
http://www.myhealthbeijing.com/pollu...n-mask-for-me/
This is a blog of an MD in Beijing. He seems to have put a lot of effort to compare different choices available, with some surprising results. There is a lot of information there but to sum it up, it seems 3M products are a good choice: 3M 90xxV should stop at least 90% of the dust (the V is for the vent, which makes it slightly more comfortable to wear).
There's also the 3M 95xx series (>95%). The masks should be very cheap (even more so if you buy them in bulk) and each should last for at least a week, depending on your usage.
Jan 26, 2015, 2:02 am
#6
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: HKG
Programs: MPC, Marriott, Hyatt
Posts: 407
I have the 3M 95xx series masks (I got them off Amazon last time I was in the States and brought them back with me) - I've always wondered: how do you tell when they should go? I usually use them for a trip (anywhere from 1 day to a week) and then grab a new one for my next trip but for longer stays, it would be nice to know what to look for to see if the mask has run its course.
Jan 26, 2015, 6:07 pm
#8
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: HKG
Posts: 1,324