Air pollution in China, what is Smog? (Series 1/4)

One of most obvious thing that people see when it comes to air pollution is the Smog. So what is the

Smog? and what does it made of?




The term "Smog" comes from Fog and Smoke

Smoke refers to is mixture of dust, sulfuric acid, Nitrate,hydrocarbons,

when these particals mix with fog, it will produce Sulfur dioxide, Nitrogen oxides, and other particulate matter(PM)

It is this mixture of Fog and Smoke that makes the sky look like this:

One of the most important stats that decide how serious is the air being polluted is how many PM 2.5 in the air, meaning particulate matters that are less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter, these particles are believed to pose the greatest health risks, because they can be inhaled deep into and accumulate in the respiratory system.


PM 10, particulate matters that are less than 10 micrometers in diameter, also known as "coarse" particles, can also be inhaled into and accumulate in the respiratory system, these particles are crushing or grinding operations, and dust from paved or unpaved roads, while PM 2.5,aka "fine" particles, are mainly come from combustion activities such as engines and burning woods and coals.

https://www3.epa.gov/pmdesignations/faq.htm#0