Beijing Still Failing Pollution Test
The pollution problem that has dogged the run-up to the Beijing Olympics refuses to go away after it was found that the city is still failing to meet international air quality standard.
When Beijing bid for the Olympics in 2001, it said its air would meet World Health Organization (WHO) standards however with a month to go before the Games this promise has yet to be fulfilled.
A report from the BBC put the claim to the test using a hand-held detector to test for airborne particles known as PM10. It found that the city’s air failed to meet the WHO’s air quality guidelines for PM10 on six days out of seven.
These particles are caused by traffic, construction work and factory emissions and they are responsible for much of this city’s pollution.
The organizers of the Beijing Games insist that there is still time to get things right. Later this month it is imposing a series of emergency air-quality measures which will take cars off the streets and shut down building sites.
For its part, the International Olympic Committee has stated that the preparations for the Beijing Games have set a ‘gold standard for the future’.
A statement read: ‘The city feels ready; it looks ready, with the stunning venues all completed. The quality of preparation, the readiness of the venues and the attention to operational detail for these Games have set a gold standard for the future. What our hosts have achieved is exceptional.’
