Air Quality

Last weekend while we were in Beijing the air quality rating was 755. What does the number mean? Well...

The purpose of the AQI is to help you understand what local air quality means to your health. To make it easier to understand, the AQI is divided into six categories:

Air Quality Index
(AQI) Values Levels of Health Concern
0-50 Good
51-100 Moderate
101-150 Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups
151 to 200 Unhealthy
201 to 300 Very Unhealthy
301 to 500 Hazardous

Description of numbers:
0 to 50 Air quality is considered satisfactory, and air pollution poses little or no risk
51 to 100 Air quality is acceptable; however, for some pollutants there may be a moderate health concern for a very small number of people who are unusually sensitive to air pollution.
101 to 150 Members of sensitive groups may experience health effects. The general public is not likely to be affected.
151 to 200 Everyone may begin to experience health effects; members of sensitive groups may experience more serious health effects.
201 to 300 Health warnings of emergency conditions. The entire population is more likely to be affected.
301 to 500 Health alert: everyone may experience more serious health effects


As you can see 755 is off the charts and way into hazardous. The pollution in Tianjin was at high levels too but not as bad as Beijing. Monday at school Cameron said the teachers were trying to decide if the kids should go outside to play. He said only 4th and 5th grade boys went out. Great. The wind came in and blew a lot out of Tianjin.  Tuesday our level was 134. Still unhealthy but not as scary.  Wednesday the winds picked up and our levels were right around 80-90.  Blue skies and sunshine. Friday we were right back to 250.  The sun was shining but it was definitely hazy. 

Oh the joys of living in China.