My first escape was Shanghai. Once I realized it was almost as bad as BJ, I parked myself in HK, which seems to be okay. I need to return to BJ/SH soon, but I am loving life down here.

It's been 9 months since my last visit to China, and now I am scheduled to be in SHA over the weekend.
Can't say I am eagerly awaiting it.

Here is an article I found on the subject:

http://www.theatlantic.com/internati...toring/258447/

http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/3518...smog-china.htm

This must be really embarrassing to the Chinese government only a week after that diplomatic row on embassy pollution monitoring!

So.... are fellow FTers in Beijing still alive? I'm holed up in my apartment trying not to die... ;)

Latest US embassy AQI reading is insane: @BeijingAir: 01-12-2013 15:00; PM2.5; 802.0; 699; Beyond Index

No relief projected for tomorrow due to only very light winds. *sigh

Even from the US the app is shouting out those red numbers to me. ;) Keep your mouth shut and hope all goes well. :D

Haven't seen it this bad since before the Olympics. Today would definitely count as Crazy Bad on the modified scale... :p

Landed at PEK T3 this morning and couldn't even see the terminal from the window while parked at the gate.

Just before last xmas, I'm pretty sure it was even worse (can verify this by searching this thread using my handle). I remember getting off the plane, and feeling like I was in the presence of a forest fire.

Shanghai doesn't hold a candle to Beijing in this regard, but I feel like it's catching up. The same goes for the taxis down here.

I'm pretty sure this is the absolute worst we've experienced in the 15 months or so we've been in Beijing. We actually had to venture out this afternoon: we left when the AQI was 400+ and it went up to 800 whilst we were out -- when I found out, I'm sure the panic brought on an instant 'pollution' headache!

What's worse: I'm co-hosting a bunch of bigwigs flying in today/tomorrow -- they're sure to be impressed by China!

tb

sunday
 

Last night was nasty here in BJ when it was +800 , but at 7am today only 483...

Interesting that the CNN coverage of the BJ air quality was not censored...

Chinese media is openly reporting that parts of Beijing and surrounding areas breached 900. Maybe this is the new leadership at work.... *koff

These are insane numbers. I can only remember it getting this bad (actually over 1000) last year on the evening of Chinese New Year. Glad I'm not there right now. This is seriously dangerous pollution even for healthy adults.

At least for CNY it is largely due to fireworks and probably more localized spiked readings. This is a pretty persistent escalation throughout the day. Averaged 24 hr AQI reading for Saturday was >500. Reports are saying this high pollution will persist until Tues.

Yes, and no. THere will be a large excess of death this week due to the pollution, and that is a function of large population in Beijing and the very vulnerable people succumbing. However, crunching the numbers (someone else did, but I vagely trust it), even breathing the air the last 24hrs was no 'worse' than smoking 3-5 cigarettes -- which rather puts it all into perspective.

People who go clubbing in Beijing every week probably get exposed to much worse air a month on average than the last few days.

tb

Thanks for the info tb! I looked it up, and if we consider yesterday's 24hr average of >500, inhaling that for a day is about 75% of a cigarette. Ok so I won't DIE die anytime soon... I just get a kick out of the collective freak-out yesterday. LOL

That said I wouldn't want to be raising a kid in this environment. I don't have an air filter, but if I had a kid I'd have several plus make the kid go out in a bubble suit!! Heh.

http://www.myhealthbeijing.com/2011/...disappointing/

not sure if this is the article you are referring to, but this blog post by a doctor calculated that breathing for a full day in an AQI500 day is equal to about 75% of a cigarette. However he only accounts for the particulates; I don't think he took into account effects of nicotine in cigarettes and other toxic contaminants in the coal ash.