Beijing’s usual air pollutants reportedly reached extreme levels in early October. Visibility was so low that the French Air Force had to cancel a scheduled air show.

Some experts believe that local weather conditions aggravated the situation. On Oct. 4, a strong warm air mass moved into the area for several days, and the lower atmosphere (approximately 5,000 m altitude) did not provide enough wind to disperse the pollutants.

According to monitoring data from the Beijing Environmental Protection Agency, during the first half of this year, Beijing had five fewer blue-sky days than last year. It is unlikely the city will reach the goal of 227 blue-sky days for 2004. Officials of the Beijing EPA admitted that for the couple of months left in this year, the pollution levels are expected to increase.

Shi Hanmin, Head of the Beijing EPA, commented that Beijing’s air is polluted with a combination of burned coal particles, motor vehicle emissions, traffic and construction dust, and industrial discharge. The severity of the pollution has reached an alarming level. With pollutants coming from multiple sources, a single control method will not be sufficient to affect the emissions. Instead, a comprehensive pollution control policy that targets all sources will need to be enforced.