Ohio State expert on the Olympics and air pollution

Because air pollution can affect the health and performance of athletes, the Chinese government has initiated efforts to reduce air pollution in Beijing during the 2008 Olympic Games.

Qinghua Sun, a public health researcher at The Ohio State University, will lead a study to determine if targeted reduction in air pollution benefits cardiovascular health.

The Chinese government has already closed some streets and relocated large manufacturing plants away from central Beijing. The government will impose additional short-term limits on traffic and remaining manufacturing facilities during the Olympics and Paralympics.

The study will extend several months after the Games to determine if cardiovascular health worsens after the short-term improvements end. The study is sponsored by The Ohio State University and New York University, with the help of Peking University School of Public Health, Beijing, China.

Qinghua Sun, MD, PhD, The Ohio State University College of Public Health http://cph.osu.edu/divisions/ehs/ehsfacstaff/sunq/