Due to the high AQI (Air Quality Index) readings, Xi'an now frequently ranks among the most polluted major cities in China. The pollution can be especially dangerous for sensitive groups including children, elderly people and pregnant women.
空气质量指数的日益增高，西安已被列为中国污染最严重的城市之一。空气污染对儿童、老人和孕妇在内的敏感群体尤其危险。 Xi'an Bell Tower at AQI 300+ Luckily we‘re more equipped than ever to monitor and protect ourselves from pollutants. As awareness about the dangers of PM2.5s (small particles believed to be the most damaging to our health) increases, products and services that can help are developing quicker – and some are easier than you’d think
幸运的是，随着人们对PM2.5危害意识的增强，相关健康的产品和服务的及时跟进，我们有能力监测和保护自己免受空气污染。
Tips on Surviving the Pollution
Carry on as normal - but make smart decisions Know the Air Quality
监测空气质量
Your health whilst dealing with pollution will depend on whether you make sensible decisions - so it's important to keep track
of the air quality daily.养成监测空气质量的日常习惯，这有助于你作出合理明智的决定。The easiest way is to download free apps such as "Air Matters" . 最简单的方法是下载适用你手机系统的免费应用程序，如“在意空气”。Air Matters gives us the local reading of PM 2.5 particulates in the city.
在意空气会提供当地实时的PM2.5指数。
You can follow air-quality.com for pollution updates in different places.If you don't feel like downloading an APP for air quality, there's also a WeChat mini-program for you to look at.
如果你不想专门下载一个应用程序，还可以使用微信小程序查询。Search mini-program: “空气质量指数查询”The Laser Egg by Kaiterra is affordable and intelligent (can sync to the Mini-program)...and make it a good one. Terms like FFP2 and N95 are confusing but refer to the differing amount of airborne
particles that the mask can remove:像FFP2和N95这样的术语指的是口罩能快速移动的空气中粒子的不同数量
European mask standards categorize masks into FFP1, FFP2 and FFP3 which remove 80%, 94% and 99% respectively. 欧洲口罩标准将口罩分为FFP1、FFP2和FFP3，指能分别去除80%、94%和99%的颗粒。American standards use a slightly more intuitive system N95, N99 and N100 removing 95%, 99% and 100% of particles.美国标准使用更直观的系统N95、N99和N100，指去除95%、99%和100%的颗粒。Each 3M N95 can be purchased in some 7-elevens & JD.com Alternatively, Californian company Vogmask make less industrial, high quality fabric masks, which can be ordered on JD.com for 198-
290RMB offering around 200 hours of protection.美国的Vogmask也有不那么工业化的专业防护口罩，一个口罩可提供约200小时的保护。
Vogmasks come in a range of styles and sizes
Lastly make sure it fits. Whichever mask you choose, and there are hundreds on the market, it’s vital it fits well. Check there are not gaps for air leakage.There are plenty of videos online to show you how to fit masks properly.
无论你选择哪种口罩，关键是要适合自己。注意检查是否漏气，网上也有很多教程教你如何正确佩戴口罩。
The first step is to get the right size purifier for your space.
There are many great stand alone Air Purifiers available, varying in price and range of things they can measure. Photo from Dyson.com.市面上有多种不同价格和功效的空气净化器，上图来自戴森。Most purifiers come
with a recommended room size in square meters or
they mention airflow rate, often written as
CADR, and listed as cubic meters per hour. 大多数空气净化器都有对应推荐适用房间面积(平方米)，或风机空载风量，常写成CADR，并以立方米每小时列出。An
effective air purifier should replace the air in your room around 5 times an
hour.一个有效的空气净化器可以每小时更换5次你房间的空气。Mi have brought affordable air purifiers to peopleSmart Air offer a cost friendly option from 200RMB available at smartairfilters.comAir purifiers become effective about ten minutes after being turned on in your home, make sure to close windows and doors while your purifier is on. Keep track if the filters in your purifier need changing – some get more efficient with age and some have a surprisingly short lifespan.空气净化器开启后大约十分钟生效，净化器开启时，请关闭门窗。净化器在使用过程中可能需要更换过滤器，请阅读产品说明书并留意实际情况。Plants to Clean Your Air
绿植
Some studies have shown there are a number of plants especially good at removing certain toxins (mainly benzene, formaldehyde and NOT PM2.5s) from the air.研究表明，某些植物可清除空气中的特定毒素(苯、甲醛，而非PM2.5)。A more holistic approach to purifying your space 一个安全且养眼的方法
Research
released by NASA names Spider Plants (Chlorophytum Comosum), Devil’s Ivy(Epipremnum Aureum), Peace Lily (Spathiphylly, ‘Mauna Loa) and the Variated
Snake Plant (Sansevieria trifasciata) as
especially good for your home – but be aware they are no substitute for proper
air cleaning technology.
美国国家航空航天局公布的一项研究称，蜘蛛植物(吊兰)、魔鬼藤(金莲花)、和平百合(刺叶百合，莫纳罗亚)和各种蛇类植物(三花杉)对家居空间有好处。但它们并不能替代空气清洁及过滤技术。
Make Good Decisions
改变生活方式
Whilst you can’t do anything to change the air quality outside, you can
make good decisions to minimize your exposure to it:
我们无法改变空气质量，但可以改变一些生活方式，尽量减少接触污染物:In a city where smoking is so cheap and engrained in both dining and business culture, sitting in a bar without a cigarette might feel like an alien idea. However, cutting out smoking is a sure fire way to improve your health.在一个吸烟如此廉价、餐饮和商业文化都根深蒂固的城市里，坐在酒吧里不抽烟可能会让人觉得很奇怪。不过显而易见的是，戒烟是改善健康的最佳方式。
Cheap cigarettes often have poor filters Try to avoid busy roads during rush hour, whether cycling, taking the subway or bus to get across the city. This can really minimize your exposure to the pollution.高峰时间尽量避开繁忙的道路，选择骑自行车、乘地铁或公共汽车出行。这可以减少你在污染环境下的时间。Xi'an is one of China's most congested cities Monitor the AQI, time your workouts effectively and use side roads or river paths to avoid direct traffic fumes. Whilst most gyms here still don’t have purifiers, indoor air generally has around 50% less pollutants than the air outside.监测空气质量指数并有效地安排你的锻炼时间。可以选择偏路或河道来避免接触路边交通污染物。尽管大多数健身房还没有空气净化器，但室内空气中的污染物也通常比室外少50%左右。Indoor exercise has become easier
Air pollution’s long term health impacts often build up slowly over time, but even if you’re not in Xi'an for the long run, it’s still sensible to take precautions and make good decisions.
随着时间的推移慢慢累积，空气污染一定会对健康产生影响。即使你不在西安长期生活，也希望能在极端天气下采取预防措施。
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