China: Shanghai's municipal government has announced that it will stop cement production when air pollution reaches 'heavy' or greater levels. The plan may affect at least three cement plants in the Shanghai area. The move follows a similar plan in Beijing that was introduced in 2012.
According to the plan, emergency measures will be taken when the PM2.5 air quality index rises above 200µg/m3 for 18 hours and looks likely to continue. PM2.5 refers to the measurements of particulate matter smaller than 2.5μm and the World Health Organization considers the safe daily level to be 25µg/m3. The average density of PM2.5 in Shanghai for the first three months of 2013 was 73 µg/m3. China's daily limit is 75µg/m3 and its yearly limit 35µg/m3.
Other emergency measures include alerting the public, restricting production in highly-polluting industries and reducing the number of vehicles on the roads. In addition power plants will be required to use high-quality coal to reduce pollution, vehicles transporting construction materials and waste will be ordered off the roads and any construction work causing dust will be shut down.
