Portrait of breathless Beijing

Beijing recently raised pollution levels to orange for the first time this year. For several days, dense gray smog enveloped the Chinese capital. Atmospheric particulate matter levels of 600 micrograms per cubic meter can enter the lungs and cause respiratory illness, heart attacks and other health problems. WHO standards - only 25 mcg.

China's economic success is partly to blame for the pollution. Growing cities need more electricity, which is generated from coal. In addition, the average wage has increased, which has affected the growth in the number of cars on the roads. Air pollution in China kills about 4,000 people a day.

(Total 18 photos)

Source: mashable.com

1. View of Beijing on December 1, 2015.

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3. Palace complex "Forbidden City".

4. Tiananmen Square.

5. Tourists in the Olympic Park.

6. Park near the Temple of Heaven.

7. Tiananmen Square.

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12. Chinese artist Wang Zhenzheng with an industrial vacuum cleaner with a function of wet air cleaning walks along the highway. For a hundred days, four hours a day, he cleaned the Beijing air, and then made a brick out of the collected dirt and dust.

13. People in respirators near the CCTV tower.

14. Residential area.

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16. Bus stop.

17. Outskirts of Beijing.

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