Beijing Olympics were the most polluted games ever, researchers say

The Beijing Olympics of 2008 were the most polluted games ever with athletes and spectators exposed to dangerous level of smog, researchers have concluded.

China's Olympics had double the level of soot as Athens, triple the levels as Atlanta and 3.5 times higher than as Sydney.

The level of toxic smog of soot particles in the air was so high that at times the sun was blotted out.

Despite Chinese Government measures to reduce pollution around their capital city by shutting down factories, restricting car usage and slowing down construction, high levels of pollutants persisted.

However matters could have been worse had there not been evening showers and a change in the wind direction during the games.

SOURCE: The Telegraph