Hyundai One of 100 Factories to Close in Beijing to Curb Pollution

Wow.... Scary....

The children’s hospitals in Beijing are receiving up to 10,000 patients per day due to respiratory ailments caused by the critically high air pollution. This past Sunday, the harmful PM2.5 particle rates were up to around 886 micrograms per cubic meter which prompted suspensions of factories throughout the area to try to get the numbers down. PM2.5 is the name for small particles that can become deeply embedded in the lungs and cause breathing problems. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency regulations, these particles should be no higher than 65 micrograms per cubic meter putting Beijing beyond a critical amount and is typically around 200 to 400 micrograms per cubic meter which is still a risk for those trying to breathe.

As of Sunday 48 work sites, including the Hyundai Motor Beijing plant, construction zones, metal refineries and chemical plants have all suspended production in an attempt to get the pollution under control. Another 41 factories have cut back on production to pitch in on the efforts as well. Government officials in Beijing report that even with the recent spike in pollution, the levels have dropped between 30 and 70 percent in the past 14 years due to actions taken to practice better air quality processes. Much of the pollution is blamed on vehicle emissions, industrial production and more domestic coal being used to heat homes during the cold weather months.

Beijing’s municipal government said it was the worst smog in many years. Zhang Dawei , director of the Beijing Municipal Environmental Monitoring Centre, said: “Even the level of PM10 would rarely go up to 700 and 900 during autumn and winter. We believe that the high concentration of PM2.5 over the past days is very rare.”

Because of this spike and many children and adults succumbing to respiratory problems due to having to breathe such a poor air quality face masks and air purifier sales have skyrocketed. Reports show that some people are buying more than one air purifier in order to help keep their own air space as clean as possible.

Source;
http://automotivediscovery.com/hyundai-one-of-100-factories-close-in-beijing-to-curb-pollution/9216299/