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Article: Gasp! An Air Of Olympic Inevitability
- Article from:
- The Washington Post
- Article date:
- June 24, 2001
- Author:
CopyrightThis material is published under license from the Washington Post. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Washington Post. (Hide copyright information)
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Measured against Paris, Toronto and Osaka -- the other finalists
bidding to host the 2008 Olympic games -- Beijing leaves some things
to be desired. Like clean air.
In the mid-1990s, the World Bank declared the Chinese capital the
most polluted city in the world. Beijing's particulate air pollution -
- the most harmful kind -- is several times the "safe" standard
levels that even New York City meets, according to Bank estimates.
Blanketed with smog, coal dust and construction dust much of the
year, Beijing's air spawns widespread respiratory illnesses and
chronic coughs. Even with recent improvements, the air could keep