Beijing Residents Told to Stay In as Smog Exceeds Exposure Limit
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Beijing told its 20 million residents to avoid outdoor activities as a U.S. Embassy pollution monitor showed levels of smog surpassing hazardous levels in the Chinese capital.
Concentrations of PM2.5, fine air particulates that pose the greatest health risk, rose to 520 micrograms per cubic meter at 3 p.m. near Tiananmen Square from an average of 260 in the past 24 hours, according to the Beijing Municipal Environmental Monitoring Center. That reading was more than 20 times higher than the World Health Organization recommendations of no higher than 25 for day-long exposure.