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?

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Most people would use a face mask to try filtering out the particulates. A mask wouldn't help against NOx though.

Please continue to follow this thread as I move it to the FT China Forum.
Thanks..
Obscure2k
TravelBuzz Moderator

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.

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 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.

Sorry to nitpick, but this thread title's use of airport codes is rather misleading. Pollution at PVG itself is rarely an issue.

I would disagree as every time I've landed at PVG (or any other Chinese airport for that matter) the pollution has been clearly visible.