From the Department of the Blindingly Obvious: Smog makes people depressed and unhappy.
According to a recent survey conducted by the China Youth Social Survey Center which asked 2001 respondents their opinions regarding smog, 70 percent of the respondents reported that smog makes them unhappy while 21 percent said smog had no effect on them.
Li Jiaqi, a 23-year-old graduate student in Beijing, said that she feels "extremely terrible when the smog comes, and I get a rash on my face because of the smog, which makes me itchy."
The survey also asked how respondents personally coped with the effects of smog. During high smog periods, 71 percent said they go out wearing a mask and 52 percent said they prefer to stay home. Forty percent of those surveyed also reported having air purifiers at home while 39 percent said they are planning to purchase one soon.
Li uses an air purifier in her dormitory when the smog is especially heavy. Even with her windows closed, Li said there is still "a very pungent smell" in her room. She added, "And now I am also very concerned about what food is good for the respiratory tract, like white radish, fungus, kelp."
Another respondent, Ji Qianqian, who also lives in Beijing, said that on days with heavy smog, that she does not "want to go to work, let alone going out at all. The pollution is so serious that you can see it on cars."
The Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau reported there were 39 days with heavy air pollution in 2016, seven fewer than in 2015.
In late December, Bejing issued its first red alert for smog when the AQI reached more than 500 in some parts of the city. The heavy smog caused hundreds of flights to be delayed in Beijing and the cancellation of 227 flights in Tianjin.
[Image via Geografiavisual]
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