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Smog Levels Dangerously High In China As Residents Burn Coal To Battle Winter

BEIJING (CBS/AP) – As the chilly weather prompted Bay Area residents to fire up their gas furnaces and fireplaces, air quality in China reached extremely hazardous levels in the city of Shenyang, as residents there began to burn coal to heat homes for winter.

Real-time data released by the Shenyang Environmental Protection Agency Sunday showed the density of the poisonous tiny airborne matters known as PM2.5 was more than 1,000 micrograms per cubic meter. Nearby cities also reported very high levels of the harmful particulates.

The World Health Organization considers the safe level of PM 2.5 to be 25 micrograms per cubic meter on a 24-hour average basis.

The readings from Shenyang are possibly the highest pollution levels ever recorded in China since the country began to monitor air quality and release real-time data in 2013.

Local authorities said the density of PM 2.5 -- considered extremely harmful to human health—peaked Sunday afternoon at more than 1,200 micrograms per cubic meter. The official Xinhua News Agency reported that the reading had reached as high as 1,400 micrograms per cubic meter at some monitoring sites.

Local authorities issued the highest alert, warning residents to stay indoors and demanding that factories cut output to reduce pollution.

Photos posted on social media showed gray skies, and members of the public complained of sore throats.

Northern China typically burns coal to heat homes in the winter, a practice believed to have fouled the air. Emissions from industrial plants and the increasing use of cars also are major causes of air pollution in China.

In the Bay Area, air quality regulators have worked to phase out even wood burning fireplaces in new homes.  The Bay Area Air Quality Management District issues Spare The Air alerts when air quality is predicted to reach hazardous levels.

Google uses Street View cars to help map Bay Area pollution levels.

TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

 

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