Smog So Thick You Could Cut It With a Knife

In just two days, millions will tune in to the Olympic Games in Beijing, China. All week long NBC’s Today Show has been broadcasting from the host city, bringing glimpses of the beautiful countryside and cultural traditions into America’s homes and business—that is, as much as can be conveyed via delayed feed. In the 10 a.m. segment on Wednesday, Aug. 6, Hoda Kotb and Kathie Lee talked about a photo that appeared on the cover of the August 5th edition of the New York Post with the headline Peking Yuck. The photo was of a U.S. Olympic cyclists arriving in Beijing wearing a face mask—surely a diplomatic don’t! At first glance, it looks like a terrorist or political protest—each violations of the Olympic code of honor. Then viewers learn that the athletes were apparently following a mandate from their exercise physiologist in an effort to shield them from the effects of heavy pollution.

According to the article, Chinese government officials have been working on the smog problem since early this month, implementing strategies such as pulling half of the city’s vehicles off the road—that’s about 1.5 million cars—and closing some factories in the capital and surrounding areas. Arne Ljungqvist, chairman of the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) medical commission, was quoted as stating that the city’s air quality is being evaluated by the standards set forth by the World Health Organization (WHO). If a picture is worth a thousand words, photos on the Post’s website would cause viewers to ask “just what are the WHO’s standards?” The smog seems to be thick enough to cut with a knife—literally.

Though Ljungqvist believes that there’s no need for athletes to wear masks unless they suffer from respiratory ailments, U.S. Cyclist Michael Friedman believes the mask is a necessary precaution. He is quoted as saying “Who knows how bad it’s going to be in a few days; so if you can resist any contaminants, then you know it’s better performance hopefully.”

The article goes on to say that the IOC will receive data every hour to monitor the air quality during the games and take necessary action as needed. Sooooooo, why are we conducting outdoor activities there? Surely, the smog problem didn’t arrive last week. How long have we known we were going to China? Do you think the cars needed to come off the road, say in May or June?

According to WHO’s website, new Air Quality Guidelines were unveiled in 2006 as a challenge to governments throughout the world to improve air quality in their cities in order to protect people’s health. The organization enlisted the brain power of more than 80 leading scientists and conducted research in various regions around the world. They stressed the importance of reducing the levels of pollutants that result from the burning of fossil and other fuels—PM10. The site further notes that air pollution is estimated to cause approximately 2 million premature deaths worldwide per year, with the largest impact felt in developing countries. But the establishment of air quality controls is up to each individual nation. Guidelines developed by WHO provide a blueprint for nations to follow. Nonetheless, according to the Post article, the WHO representative in China is none to happy about media’s “exaggeration of the problem.” Ljungqvist stated to Post that the WHO standard was only a guideline for protecting the long-term health of local residents, not for temporary visitors such as Olympic athletes and visitors.

Hmmm. So, if I, who happen to suffer from bronchial asthma, went to China and started wheezing, should I not worry? Afterall, I would be a temporary guest. But what about temporary guests, athletes, who have pre-existing conditions—known or unknown. Should they not be concerned? Olympic historian David Wallechinsky has recorded that four athletes have died during the Olympics—two during practice and two during competition. From a blogpost on Google Answers, Wallechinsky is the source of information about Danish cyclist Knut Jensen (1960 Olympics) who died during the road race. Conflicting posts cite a collapse from sunstroke resulting in a fractured skull and a collapse from ingesting performance enhancers. In 2007, Elite distance runner Ryan Shay collapsed during the Men’s Marathon Olympic trials. Shay was diagnosed with an enlarged heart at age 14. Doctors cleared him for try outs.

In the Post, Ljungqvist is also quoted as saying that athletes in Beijing will face the same conditions of high heat and humidity that were prevalent in Atlanta in 1996 and Athens in 2004. Now, I lived in Atlanta for 13 years and was there during the Olympics. Heat and humidity are infamous in the Peach State; but smog—no way. Compared to the photos of Beijing, the smog in the ATL in 1996 was the equivalent of a hiccup cloud. Furthermore, let’s talk about cleanup efforts.

The location of the Olympic Village in Atlanta was in a rough part of town known for high drug trade, crime, and a high homeless population. When 1996 rolled in, the burning question for many was—where are all the homeless people? The city cleaned up. Though the moving of people and the clearing of smog don’t compare, the point is clean up efforts in China, according to the Post, began earlier this month. A bit late, don’t you think?

Sources: The Today Show, Wednesday, Aug. 6, 10 a.m. segment with Hoda Kotb & Kathie Lee
The New York Post, August 5, 2008 via www.nypost.com
World Health Organization web site
Google Answers: Olympic injuries
Foxnews.com, November 4. 2007, Associated Press story

Photos: New York Post web site, Beijing Smog Gallery. Left: U.S. Cyclist Jennie Reed; Right: Smog on the Olympic Green in Beijing