Schoolchildren ordered indoors as air pollution cloaks Shanghai

Eastern China has very high levels of air pollution from traffic, factories and weather changes. In Shanghai, the children cannot go out of their houses so schools were closed and all construction activities were stopped. The visibility was reducing in few meters when the yellow mist downed to the Shanghai’s territory. 30% of government’s vehicles were taken off from the roads. The sales of masks and air purifiers have increased in these days.

The measure of PM2.5 in Shanghai’s air increased to 602.5 micrograms per cubic meter on Friday that week. In October some monitors located on Harbin city reported measures of 1000 micrograms per cubic meter of PM2.5. Some China’s provinces are contributing to the environment deterioration in the country because they never shut down their factories. These provinces should take actions immediately to decrease the levels of air pollutants announced Greenpeace’s leaders.

Opinion

Children are being affected by this problem again and again. They can’t even go to school because of the high level of air pollution in China. The authorities are doing their best and people are contributing to reduce emissions and protect their children but this is not enough.

If we compare, the allow limit of 25 micrograms per cubic meter of PM2.5 pollutant in a day in human body with levels registered by monitors in some regions of China which reach the 1000 micrograms per cubic meter of PM2.5 we realize the hazard for Chinese people in these days.

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Associated Press. December 6 2013. 10.19 GMT. Schoolchildren ordered indoors as air pollution cloaks Shanghai. The Guardian, UK. Taken from http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/dec/06/schoolchildren-air-pollution-shanghai-eastern-china