Smog levels in northern China have worsened in the past year. The problem is now affecting East and even South China, said Hua Chunmu, corporate communications manager of 3M China Ltd.

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Hua said the smog has pushed up sales of related products ranging from masks to air purifiers.

3M offers masks for industrial use through its store on Tmall, a leading B2C website. It it's selling 40,000 to 50,000 daily. Hua said that even though the company increased production capacity, it can't keep up with demand.

According to the Ministry of Commerce, growth in air purifier sales has been accelerating. Sales rose 11.4 percent in 2010 but, by the third quarter of 2012, growth stood at 14.7 percent.

The ministry has forecast that growth will run at about 15 percent annually in the coming years.

Honeywell International Inc said revenue from selling air purifiers in China, mostly for commercial buildings, has grown 50 percent annually on average in the past three years.

Further growth is expected, according to Ling Zhen, the company's regional director for residential and environmental sales.

The penetration rate of air purifiers in China is still just 1 percent, offering a massive potential market for industry players.

Urbanization is providing opportunities as well, given the increasing public awareness of air and water quality issues, Ling said.

Honeywell is considering the development of retail networks in China, including a presence on Tmall, said Li Ning, vice-president and general manager of Honeywell Life Safety Asia.

He said most sales of their masks are generated in North China and East China, with revenue growth exceeding that of industrial products.

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