Hazardous Air Quality, Air Pollution, Dust Storm In China Already an Improvement from Past, Experts Say

According to experts, the dangerous air quality that is made worse by air pollution and a dust storm is already an improvement over the conditions that existed in China in the past.

Air Pollution & Hazardous Air Quality: An Improvement

Beijing's skyscrapers vanished into the haze, and the air quality deteriorated as a dust storm coupled with heavy pollution engulfed China's capital on Friday.

The IQAir website displays an air quality index of 1,093, a "hazardous" level that is many times greater than what is considered "unhealthy" levels, indicating that concentrations of the tiny PM2.5 particles, which can penetrate deeply into the lungs and bloodstream, have reached a dangerous range.

Previously known for its poor air quality, Beijing has seen significant improvements in recent years as a result of the removal of highly polluting vehicles from the road and the relocation of heavy industry and coal-fired power plants to neighboring provinces.

Dust Storms and Coal-Fired Power

Historically, wind gusts in from the loess hills around the upper reaches of the Yellow River to the west would regularly cause dust and sandstorms in the capital during the spring. The intensity and frequency of the storms that frequently turned the ambient air a cataclysmic yellowish-red have been lessened as a result of anti-desertification efforts.

After 2020, when a lot of China's industry was shut down due to lockdowns and quarantines imposed by China's strict "zero-COVID" policy, air quality also significantly improved.

China has been promoting coal-fired power in response to a slowing economy, reversing efforts to reduce climate-changing carbon emissions from the largest global source.

Among the biggest investors in solar and wind energy is China, but after its economy shrank in 2021 and shortages led to blackouts and factory closures, uneasy leaders pushed for increased coal-fired power. Concern over potential disruptions to foreign coal and oil supplies increased after Russia attacked Ukraine.

According to a 2021 article by CNBC - Sustainable Future, China is the top producer and consumer of coal as well as the biggest source of air pollution and gases that cause climate change.

Beijing has avoided partnering with nations that pledged to gradually phase out the use of coal-fired power, and the country's ruling Communist Party has rejected legally binding emissions commitments, citing the need for economic development, FOX News reports.

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Health in Beijing

Sinus pressure and asthma triggers are at very high levels in Beijing today.

Temperature and humidity fluctuations that occur suddenly can prompt tissues in the nose to swell, which may increase sinus pressure as well as discomfort in those who are affected. Sinus pain may also be influenced by other elements like geographic location and population density.

Sinus pressure triggers will remain at very high levels through the weekend and into Monday. It will further rise to extreme levels on Tuesday and Wednesday. By Thursday, March 16, sinus pressure triggers will drop to moderate levels and remain so until Friday.

On the other hand, some weather conditions could also irritate the airways, increasing the likelihood that people with asthma will experience symptoms. Thunderstorms, dry air, and extremely high or low temperatures can all trigger asthma.

Asthma triggers are at very high levels until Monday and will reach extreme levels two days after that. By Thursday and Friday asthma triggers will be in the low-level range, AccuWeather reports.