Dutch designer Daan Roosegaarde has developed an 'electronic vacuum cleaner' that can be used to clean up the toxic smog in Beijing. It was reported that Roosegaarde is working with the mayor of Beijing to apply this technology in a new park in the city.

The system uses copper coils to create a weak electromagnetic field, which reportedly can attract smog components in the air and pull them down to the ground where they can be cleaned. This can create gigantic holes of clean air in the sky, which can be as large as 60 metres. The coils are designed to be buried beneath the grass of a park and will not release toxic residues.

Severe smog has become a major problem in Beijing and elsewhere in the country, damaging health and reducing visibility to less than 10 metres.

According to Reuters: "an index measuring PM2.5, or particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers (PM2.5), reached a reading of 1,000 in some parts of Harbin, the gritty capital of northeastern Heilongjiang province and home to some 11 million people.

"A level above 300 is considered hazardous, while the World Health Organisation recommends a daily level of no more than 20.

"Last week, Beijing city released a color-coded alert system for handling air pollution emergencies, to include the temporary halt of construction, factory production, outdoor barbeques and the setting off of fireworks."