Study Challenges Safe Air Quality Claims in China

BEIJING — Leading scientists have challenged Beijing's claims to have defeated the city's notorious air pollution in time for the Olympics.

A study published in China alleges that air quality near the main Olympic venues fails the government's own "safe" target for dust particles on most days. The authorities say that air quality now nearly always meets overall pollution targets. Days that do are called "blue sky days."

In a last-ditch effort to ensure unbroken "blue sky days" for next month's Games, the authorities implemented a final shutdown yesterday of heavily polluting industries across the city and neighbouring provinces. They also banned cars on alternate days, depending on whether their license plates are odd or even.

The authors of the study, from the Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, took independent readings following the earlier driving ban. Concentrations of three pollutants — sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen dioxide — were low or acceptable, they found.