According to the State numbers, Beijing’s air pollution index is down to 156 today, which can be classified as merely “unhealthy”, compared to yesterday and the day before which rated as “hazardous” with API numbers of 500 and 421 respectively.
Phew, we can breathe again.
We’re down to RED ALERT today
The chart above is from Air Now, which describes itself as a “cross-agency U.S. Government Web site”. The chart refers to numbers that the website calls AQI—air quality index. They appear to refer to the same thing as the term used by the authorities in Beijing: API or air pollution index.
Links and Sources
- State Environment Protection Agency (SEPA): Daily API numbers for Chinese cities
- Beijing Environment Protection Bureau website: API breakdowns for Beijing districts for December 29 2007
- Danwei report from December 28: Choking in Beijing – API hits 500 today