Air pollution in Beijing reached "hazardous" levels on Monday, the US embassy said, as thick smog blanketed the city for the third day running, forcing the closure of highways and cancellation of flights.
The Chinese capital is one of the most polluted cities in the world, mainly due to its growing energy consumption -- much of which is still fuelled by coal-fired power stations -- and the high number of cars on the road.
A "hazardous" rating by the US embassy, whose evaluation of the city's airquality often differs markedly from the official Chinese rating, is the worst on a six-point scale and indicates the whole population is likely to be affected.
Read on from Source: http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-10-beijing-air-pollution-hazardous-embassy.html