Smog Puts Focus on Air Outside Beijing

Although Beijing’s air pollution has somewhat abated since earlier this month, parts of northern China on Monday were covered in thick smog.

Although Beijing’s air pollution has somewhat abated since earlier this month, parts of northern China on Monday were covered in thick smog, forcing the closure of some schools, airports and highways in the region.

The conditions are a stark reminder that while Beijing gets most of the attention when it comes to China’s poor air quality, neighboring industrial zones contribute a significant share of the region’s air pollution.

The start of the winter heating season has created a blanket of heavy smog over the northern provinces of Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning, China’s official Xinhua news agency reported.

For example, in the Heilongjiang capital of Harbin, the density of small, health-threatening particulates known as PM2.5 exceeded the maximum level of 500 micrograms per cubic meter, leading to the closure of a major airport, the suspension of all primary- and middle-school classes and the halting of some bus services, Xinhua said. The news agency added that visibility in Harbin was less than 50 meters.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says those readings are “extremely rare” in the U.S. and typically occur during events such as forest fires.

A wide gap in temperatures between day and night, and the beginning of winter heating season are the reason for the smog, Xinhua reported, citing meteorologists.

Last week, the Beijing municipal government outlined a plan to control pollution-intensive local industries by 2017. Although the plan is aimed at controlling the expansion of local cement, steel and refining industries, it also includes coordination with neighboring areas of Hebei and Tianjin, which are major hubs for these industries. Beijing’s plan calls for its neighboring regions to also control their industrial capacity and set pollution-reduction targets.