Heavy air pollution in northeast China will continue until Nov. 14, partially fueled by burning coal for public heating, according to the Ministry of Environmental Protection.
"Most areas" in Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang province will see medium to heavy air pollution from Nov. 10 to 14, with PM2.5 being the main pollutant, the ministry said in a statement on Monday.
Heavy smog hit the region in early Nov., roughly the same time coal heating begins in north China.
On Monday, the maximum hourly reading for PM2.5, airborne particles smaller than 2.5 microns in diameter, hit 860 micrograms per cubic meter in Changchun, capital of Jilin. The World Health Organization set the maximum for human health at 25 micrograms on a 24-hour average.
The ministry urged government departments in concerned regions to closely follow and take measures to relieve local air pollution, including limiting road traffic.
