All Olympic athletes are in danger of suffering severe asthma attacks, skin conditions, infections and sickness due to Beijing's pollution.
A medical expert has told Sky News Online that unless smog in the Olympic capital clears, athletes may find their performance "considerably reduced".
"It's not a situation where you would expect any world records to be broken," professor Frank Kelly said.
His warning comes after an exclusive Sky News report revealed pollution levels are worse than ever in the Chinese capital - 16 times worse than in London - despite attempts to ban cars and reduce factory emissions.
Mr Kelly, professor of environmental health at Kings College, London, said: "Athletes breathe in ten times as much air into their lungs as spectators.
"The pollution will cause their air passages to decrease in diameter, so they will not be able to take as much air into their lungs, which will affect their performance.
"Some of the athletes will suffer severe reactions and all will see impacts on their health.
"They are pushing their bodies to their limits so pollution will have serious consequences."
No comments:
Post a Comment