Beijing's air quality deteriorates amid dust storm, heavy pollution

Skyscrapers in Beijing disappeared into the haze and air quality plummeted as China's capital was enveloped in a dust storm and heavy pollution on Friday.

Concentrations of the tiny PM 2.5 particles that can reach deep into the lungs and bloodstream entered a dangerous range on air quality monitoring sites, with the IQAir website showing an air quality index of 1,093, a hazardous level, many times higher than what are considered unhealthy levels.

Beijing was formerly notorious for its terrible air quality, but conditions had much improved in recent years as authorities took heavily polluting vehicles off the roads and moved coal-fired power plants and heavy industry to the surrounding provinces.

The capital also used to be known for regular springtime dust and sandstorms caused by winds blowing in from the loess hills along the upper sections of the Yellow River to the west.

Anti-desertification efforts have helped reduce both the frequency and intensity of the storms that had ofte