Beijing restricts car use amid smog ‘Red Alert’

Beijing has issued a ‘Red Alert’ and placed limits on car use as smog continues to shroud the city.

Levels of dangerous airborne pollutants known as PM2.5 have approached nearly 40 times the limit considered safe by the World Health Organization, according to a New York Times report. PM2.5 refers to particles smaller than 2.5 microns that can travel deep into the lungs.

To help mitigate the problem, the city’s first-ever Red Alert requires residents to drive on alternate days based on odd/even license plate numbers. Schools will be closed, while certain factories will be forced to temporarily halt operations.

The current measurements are said to be the worst of the year, though far below the city’s worst on record. The WHO cites a PM2.5 safety threshold of 25 micrograms per cubic meter. Beijing’s current measurements are expected to exceed 200 micrograms per cubic meter for more than three consecutive days. The Liaoning Province city of Shenyang recently surpassed 1,400 micrograms per cubic meter, according to a BBC report.

China has spent billions to curb smog, however the country’s reliance on coal for energy production has been blamed for the persistent problems.