Beijing Air Quality Remains Poor
The Chinese government has vowed the Olympic Games will take place under blue skies, not the murky “sauna” haze that has shrouded the city recently, but even on apparently clear days pollution levels may not be safe for athletes.
Officials lavished 120 billion yuan ($17.6 billion) on cleaning up the capital with factories dozens of miles away closed down, construction halted, and over half the city’s 3.3 million cars cleared from the roads.
Still, even when Beijing says the air is clear, athletes and their coaches may have cause for concern.
Most Chinese air pollution standards are outside World Health Organization guidelines. Moreover, experts say that the pollution index China uses to tell ordinary citizens whether the air is safe — a “blue sky” day — is seriously flawed.
The grey haze hanging over Beijing on Monday highlighted the city’s ongoing problems. City pollution monitors said air quality on Monday was Grade II, making it officially a “blue sky day” — though to the naked eye there was little to distinguish it from the four previous days when air did not meet national standards.
Many athletes have delayed arriving in Beijing until the last minute to avoid bad air, and the International Olympic Committee said it may reschedule endurance events such as the marathon to prevent health risks to athletes if pollution is bad.
