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Written By: Editorial Team | Updated : October 22, 2013 9:51 PM IST
There was a major smog situation in the north-eastern Chinese city of Harbin where it forced schools, major roads and the airport to remain closed on Tuesday. The city, which is better known for its annual ice festival, went into shutdown mode. Meteorologists issued a red alert at 5 am on Tuesday according to the state-run Xinhua news agency. The situation was extremely bad with state-run CCTV showing some people wearing masks over their mouths as they walked. Visibility was down to less than 20 m and the all the schools were ordered to suspend classes for a second day and even their airport the Harbin Taiping International Airport remained closed with around 250 flights cancelled on Monday.
According to the city's monitoring stations, pollution levels were extremely highly, about 30 times the WHO's recommended standard, according to the China Daily. Officials blamed the smog on lack of wind and farmers burning crop stalk after the autumn harvest though the city's coal burning heat system is also another likely culprit. 'There has been no strong wind and the level of humidity is high,' said a reporter for the China Daily.
Residents of this city of 10 million people were caught unawares by the thick smog.
'The pollution is indeed very bad, we can only see things within 100 meters, and yesterday it was 20-30 meters. We can smell the smoke in the air,' one man, who identified himself as Mr Ren, told CNN. 'The smog started about four days ago ... I heard all face masks in Harbin are sold out. People are very angry about this and there is a lot of discussion over the Internet.
'The main reason is Harbin started its heating and the main resource is coal. Every year at this time, the air quality is bad -- but this year is especially polluted.' 'We must put air quality control as an ecological red line for economic management and social development,' China's Vice Premier Zhang Gao Li said in a statement as he announced the new policy at the 18th Air Pollution Control Conference in Beijing.
What is smog?
Smog is basically smoky fog. It refers to a type of air pollution derived from emission from internal combustion engines of vehicles and industrial smokes. Smog is common in sunny, warm, dry climate cities with a large number of vehicles.
How is it formed?
Smog consists mainly of fine particles, gases like carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NO2), and ground level ozone, a harmful pollutant. The chemicals in the polluted air are highly reactive and oxidizing. They react in the atmosphere with sunlight to form secondary pollutants. Photochemical smog is formed by the combination of primary emissions and secondary pollutants. In warmer, sunnier weather the upper air is warm and inhibits vertical circulation causing smog to worsen during such times. Smog can build up to dangerous levels by staying for extended periods of time over densely populated areas. It can travel with the wind and affect sparsely populated areas as well.
How does it affect our health?
Smog is a serious problem because it is harmful for health especially for children, elderly, and for people with heart and lung conditions and those suffering from asthma and bronchitis. It can cause:
Tips to avoid the smog:
Avoid exercising near heavy traffic areas, especially during peak hour. Avoid outdoor activities when smog levels are high, especially during the afternoon. If you have a heart/lung condition, consult your doctor about ways to protect your health from smog. Walk, ride your bicycle or use public transportation instead of your car whenever possible.
With inputs from agencies
