BEIJING (AFP) — China's pledge of a "Green Olympics" has taken on a worrying meaning at the sailing-venue city of Qingdao, where an algae bloom has coated the coastline, according to witnesses and Chinese media.
A bright green covering of algae was Friday seen smothering beaches and extending out several hundred metres (yards) into the Yellow Sea off the city, about 550 kilometres (340 miles) southeast of Beijing.
Photos posted on the website of the Shanghai-based Xinmin Evening Post showed bags being filled with the spinach-like growth.
Algae blooms are common in heavily polluted China, particularly in freshwater lakes.
They are mostly caused by the discharge of untreated sewage containing high concentrations of nitrogen, a main ingredient in detergents and fertilisers.
Residents of the city told AFP that Qingdao, which means "Green Island", was prone to summer algae infestations but that this year's was noticeably worse.
"Yes the green algae is back as it is every year, but it seems like there is more than last year," an employee at a hotel along the city's waterfront told AFP by telephone.
The man, who declined to give his name, estimated that about 500 volunteers and another 500 police and government workers were trying to clear the algae.
Officials in the city with responsibility for water pollution issues did not answer phones on Friday.
The algae is the latest worry facing the venue, which has already seen concerns raised over a lack of wind at the site.
More than 400 sailors from 60 countries are expected to compete in the Olympic sailing competition in August.
However, a regatta last August at the 430-million-dollar marina built for the competition saw contestants drift in a windless Yellow Sea.
Many top competitors said they would be forced to reassess how they sail because of the conditions.
Zang Aimin, a top Chinese Olympic yachting official, said at last year's regatta the Olympic competition schedule may feature more races in the late afternoon, when the wind picks up.
China, which has a horrendous ecological protection record, has promised a "Green Olympics" that will be sensitive to environmental concerns.
However, pollution remains one of the biggest threats to the August 8-24 Games, with Beijing wrapped in its usual blanket of smog for most of this year.
International Olympic Committee chief Jacques Rogge has warned that endurance events, such as the marathon, may be postponed to protect athletes' health.
Qingdao's government has previously mobilised large numbers of volunteers to help control algae outbreaks, which put an annual blot on the tourism-dependent city, famed for waters and skies that are clean by Chinese standards.
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