Air Pollution in China

Over the past seven years, levels of particulate matter in Beijing's air averaged nearly five times the recommended daily level set by the World Health Organisation, according to data from a monitoring station at the US embassy.

he medical implications of sustained exposure to particles smaller than 2.5 micrometers in diameter (PM2.5) are sobering. A study by Greenpeace and scientists at Peking University based on 2013 data attributed more than 257,000 premature deaths in 31 Chinese cities to PM2.5, making it a bigger killer than smoking.

Awareness of the dangers of Beijing's skies is on the rise, due to growing data on its air quality. Anyone can monitor pollution using apps providing hourly updates of PM2.5 levels, based on government or US embassy readings.