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Like, Really Toxic

Buildings are seen in the central business district of Beijing during a sandstorm on March 15, 2021.
Buildings are seen in the central business district of Beijing during a sandstorm on March 15, 2021. Photo: Leo Ramirez (Getty Images)

Beijing’s realtime air quality indexalso showed a reading of 999 on Monday, causing authorities to advise residents to stay indoors. For context, measures over 100 are deemed unhealthy, and 300 is considered “hazardous.” The poor air wasn’t just limited to a few parts of the city either. The surrounding towns and cities, including the port city of Tianjin, all saw air quality index readings of 999 on Monday. The dangerous air quality stretched all the way to Qingdao, another coastal city located 413 miles (665 kilometers) away.