The Chinese capital remained shrouded under toxic haze for the third consecutive day on Monday. It imposed the highest tier of a four-color smog warning system for four days starting Saturday, the second time the red alert was applied since Beijing established the pollution precaution scheme in 2013. Beijing has ordered 2,100 factories to suspend or reduce production as part of its “red alert” measures to deal with smog, the government said, according to AFP. Counts of PM2.5—harmful microscopic particles that penetrate deep into the lungs—were 172 micrograms per cubic meter earlier Monday. The reading is nearly seven times the World Health Organization’s recommended maximum exposure of 25 over a 24-hour period. PM2.5 is expected to peak at above 300 micrograms per cubic meter on Tuesday. During the red alert, Beijing pulls half the city’s cars off the roads, except for buses, taxis, electric cars and vehicles for special purposes such as ambulances, while the public transport system including subways increases capacity, the report said. Schools and kindergartens in Beijing were advised to close on Monday and Tuesday under the red alert and teaching materials were uploaded online for the students.
