Bad pollution driving expatriates out of Beijing
Many foreigners used to enjoy living in Beijing - especially when air quality was improved for the 2008 Olympics - but not any more
Many expatriates in Beijing used to find the capital a pleasant city to live in, especially right after the 2008 Olympics.
The city's air quality improved yesterday morning, with readings of health-threatening PM2.5 respirable particles of about 100 micrograms per cubic metre of air, down from nearly 900 on Saturday. But the figure rose to above 200 in the afternoon as the sky turned milky, triggering concerns about the return of the smog that blanketed the city at the weekend.
The World Health Organisation recommends that PM2.5 levels be kept below 25 micrograms per cubic metre.
Joshua Dyer, a translator from the United States, recalled how different Beijing's air was when he arrived in 2008, when huge sums were being invested to improve the environment for the Olympics. "It was surprisingly good. Many blue skies," he said. "But what happened over the weekend was really shocking."
Dyer uses an air filter at home and puts on a mask when pollution readings are high. "The air pollution is one reason I know I can't stay much longer here. I feel the bad air affects me psychologically as well. I feel sluggish on heavily polluted days."