Lantern Festival fun worsens air woes
Print Edition
China’s environmental watchdog said yesterday 33 of the 161 cities monitored nationwide recorded heavy air pollution during the Lantern Festival.
This was attributed to a combination of fireworks at the end of the Spring Festival holiday, plus unfavorable weather conditions.
Beijing, together with surrounding cities such as Shijiazhuang, Baoding, Xingtai and Hengshui, were rated by the Ministry of Environmental Protection as “severely polluted” on Friday.
Heavy smog persisted in Beijing yesterday after the final salvoes of holiday fireworks sent the Air Quality Index to 500, reaching Level 6 — severely polluted — on Friday evening.
While smog has persisted in Beijing for nearly a week, Sun Feng, senior engineer with the city’s Environment Monitoring Center, said it may start to disperse today.
However, an official with the ministry said the capital will again see heavy to severe air pollution over the next two days.
The Lantern Festival, marking the end of more than two weeks of Chinese New Year celebrations, traditionally features outdoor celebrations by hanging lanterns outside and setting off fireworks.
Chinese people traditionally believe the noise of fireworks can ward off evil spirits and bad luck.
However, the impact of fireworks on air pollution has been highlighted by the public and authorities in recent years.
Friday’s major pollutants were PM2.5 and PM10, with fireworks much to blame for the serious air pollution, the ministry said.
Shijiazhuang, capital of north China’s Hebei Province, was most polluted, with an average PM2.5 reading of 363 micrograms per cubic meter, said officials.
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