CHINA: Air pollution levels worsen in Shanghai

Record ID: 216983

  • Title: CHINA: Air pollution levels worsen in Shanghai
  • Date: 16th January 2013
  • Summary: SHANGHAI, CHINA (JANUARY 16, 2012) (REUTERS) SKYSCRAPERS IN SHANGHAI PEARL TOWER AND JINMAO TOWER IN HAZE PEARL TOWER AND SKYSCRAPERS BESIDE HUANGPU RIVER SKYSCRAPERS IN HAZE PEOPLE WALKING ON THE BUND WATERFRONT MAN HOLDING HIS SCARF IN FRONT OF HIS MOUTH PEOPLE GATHERING AT THE BUND SCULPTURE STANDING IN FRONT OF PEARL TOWER (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) 26-YEAR-OLD TOURIST FR
  • Embargoed: 31st January 2013 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: China
  • Country: China
  • Topics: Environment,Health
  • Reuters ID: LVA5QQWL719ZMV1LLS62TA1FHS5K
  • Story Text: China's financial hub Shanghai follows the capital Beijing in reporting very unhealthy air quality, while Greenpeace welcomes greater government openness in reporting pollution across the country.


    China's financial hub Shanghai followed the capital Beijing in reporting very unhealthy air on Wednesday (January 16), deepening concern about the country's air pollution.
    Air quality in the eastern metropolis reached 273 on an index that measures particulate matter in the air with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers -- a level the U.S. consulate there considers 'very unhealthy.'
    A level of 300 is considered dangerous while the World Health Organisation recommends a daily level of no more than 20.
    Air quality in Beijing was far above hazardous levels over the weekend, reaching 755 on the index, the highest ever recorded in the capital, sparking a public outcry.
    On Shanghai's historic Bund waterfront, tourists like 26-year-old Li Mei were feeling the effects.
    "Since I arrived in Shanghai today I haven't felt very well. It feels like there are a lot of particles in the air, and my airways don't feel very comfortable. Compared with my hometown, it doesn't have that clean feeling," she said.
    Those eager for a spectacular view of skyscrapers over the Huangpu river were sorely disappointed.
    "Today the sky feels really grey. It's much greyer than in the last few days. I feel disappointed that I haven't been able to see the pearl tower, and the background is grey in my pictures. I feel the air is pretty dirty," said tourist Wu Rui.
    Media reported that Beijing's air quality had improved following air movement and light snow on Tuesday (January 15), but by Wednesday, the level peaked at over 300 once again.
    Particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers, known as PM2.5, can cause cardiopulmonary disease, lung cancer and acute respiratory infection, according to the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health.
    Zhou Rong, a Beijing-based climate and energy campaigner for Greenpeace, said the small PM2.5 particles were more harmful than larger ones.
    "They (PM2.5 particles) are relatively small, so they are absorbed into the lungs more easily. Secondly, they contain a lot of harmful substances, such as heavy metals, PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) and carcinogens so they are more likely to have a harmful effect on the health of a person's entire body," she said.
    A report released last year by Greenpeace and Peking University estimated that almost 8,600 premature deaths occurred in four major Chinese cities in 2012, due to high levels of PM2.5 pollution.
    Hospitals in Beijing and other cities have reported sharp increases in the number of patients with respiratory complaints in recent days, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
    The public outcry has been accompanied by unprecedented coverage by China's state media in a show of transparency rare for the tightly-controlled country. China started to report PM2.5 levels in major cities for the first time at the beginning of this year.
    Zhou and others have welcomed the openness.
    "This is because the government has admitted this problem, and the government has started to proactively send its own estimates, so the media's follow up both before and after has been very fast. And I think the media's focus is shifting to become more rational and more constructive, and they will pursue the question 'What has caused such serious pollution' and will positively search for resolutions. So when we can see that this kind of media attention is having a positive influence on the debate of this issue," she said.
    China's premier-to-be Li Keqiang has added his voice to appeals to curb the toxic haze, marking the first time a member of the ruling Communist Party's top circle of leaders has addressed the record levels of pollution.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2013. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register