Air quality in Beijing is expected to improve on Tuesday as rain and a northerly wind are forecast in the city to disperse recent smog.
Air pollution began last Tuesday and the quality of air worsened Saturday morning, local environmental protection authorities said Saturday.
At 10 a.m. Saturday, the PM 2.5 density in the city reached 176 micrograms per cubic meter of air, indicating heavy air pollution, according to data from Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Monitoring Center.
Sulfate has been confirmed as the primary pollutant, accounting for 15 percent of PM 2.5, according to the center. Sulfur dioxide, which comes from coal firing, is a major source of sulfate.
Beijing’s coal consumption is low, however, monitoring has shown the air pollution has come into the city from neighboring areas.
The smog is not expected to disperse until Tuesday, when rain and a northerly wind are forecast in the city.
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