Scientists and environmentalists raised the alarm yesterday on problems caused by so-called "environmental hormones" -- hormone-like toxins that disrupt the human endocrine system -- and are calling for immediate action by the government to head off what they say is a potentially disastrous situation.
Speaking at a news conference yesterday, environmental experts highlighted the toxic effects on humans resulting from exposure to persistent organic pollutants -- including dioxins, PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), the pesticide DDT, and other chemicals containing lead or mercury.
"Certain man-made chemicals can mimic natural hormones and disrupt endocrine [hormone-regulated] bodily processes. People are effectively at risk from `chemical castration,'" said Kuo Yu-liang (
"Many laboratory and wildlife studies in developed countries have shown clear links between environmental hormones and reproductive anomalies in animals," Kuo said.
Kuo said that male reproductive disorders caused by environmental hormones include low sperm counts, higher infertility rates, higher proportions of abnormal sperm, and declining semen volumes.
Other scientists attending the conference suggested that the government should establish a national environmental hormone strategy group to reduce the risk of exposing people to toxic chemicals accumulated in the environment.
"Taiwan's government should convene a group to conduct a comprehensive study on the issue and come up with strategies to deal with the threat," said Ling Yong-chien (
Ling took the import of dioxin-contaminated food from Belgium last year, which caused nationwide panic, as evidence to illustrate his point.
"The government does not respect the people's right to know. The public is unaware of the existence of dioxin in their everyday lives. There is a lack of background data on accumulated dioxins in the environment and in the human body," Ling said.
Scientists said that the people of Taiwan -- lacking information on environmental toxins -- have consumed fish, chicken, and other meat products contaminated by toxic pollutants for years.
Environmentalists said that toxic chemicals have polluted the environment to a degree beyond people's imagination. They cited recent action taken by US sportswear giant Nike Co, which recalled a batch of football jerseys from its outlets worldwide after admitting they contained the potentially harmful chemical tributyltin, as an example of the problem.
"Existing man-made toxic pollutants can be attributed to heavy industry. Chemical companies should produce environmental impact reports containing related inform-ation, and release them to the public," said Wu Tung-chieh (
Wu said the government should have considered the effects of chemicals on human reproductive health when drafting federal safety guidelines.
Sociology experts pointed to what they said was a tragic situation in many developing countries -- the importation of industrial technology without the required level of education and technological expertise to ensure its safety. Embracing such an over-simplified process has made people "environmentally myopic (
"Through adopting facilities as advanced as those in developed countries, we produce higher dioxin concentration emissions from incinerators," said Wang Chun-hsiu (
Wang was referring to what critics say is the current policy of building incinerators without paying attention to carrying out environmental and health risk assessments in advance.
The government is aiming to recruit 1,096 foreign English teachers and teaching assistants this year, the Ministry of Education said yesterday. The foreign teachers would work closely with elementary and junior-high instructors to create and teach courses, ministry official Tsai Yi-ching (蔡宜靜) said. Together, they would create an immersive language environment, helping to motivate students while enhancing the skills of local teachers, she said. The ministry has since 2021 been recruiting foreign teachers through the Taiwan Foreign English Teacher Program, which offers placement, salary, housing and other benefits to eligible foreign teachers. Two centers serving northern and southern Taiwan assist in recruiting and training
WIDE NET: Health officials said they are considering all possibilities, such as bongkrekic acid, while the city mayor said they have not ruled out the possibility of a malicious act of poisoning Two people who dined at a restaurant in Taipei’s Far Eastern Department Store Xinyi A13 last week have died, while four are in intensive care, the Taipei Department of Health said yesterday. All of the outlets of Malaysian vegetarian restaurant franchise Polam Kopitiam have been ordered to close pending an investigation after 11 people became ill due to suspected food poisoning, city officials told a news conference in Taipei. The first fatality, a 39-year-old man who ate at the restaurant on Friday last week, died of kidney failure two days later at the city’s Mackay Memorial Hospital. A 66-year-old man who dined
‘CARRIER KILLERS’: The Tuo Chiang-class corvettes’ stealth capability means they have a radar cross-section as small as the size of a fishing boat, an analyst said President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday presided over a ceremony at Yilan County’s Suao Harbor (蘇澳港), where the navy took delivery of two indigenous Tuo Chiang-class corvettes. The corvettes, An Chiang (安江) and Wan Chiang (萬江), along with the introduction of the coast guard’s third and fourth 4,000-tonne cutters earlier this month, are a testament to Taiwan’s shipbuilding capability and signify the nation’s resolve to defend democracy and freedom, Tsai said. The vessels are also the last two of six Tuo Chiang-class corvettes ordered from Lungteh Shipbuilding Co (龍德造船) by the navy, Tsai said. The first Tuo Chiang-class vessel delivered was Ta Chiang (塔江)
EYE ON STRAIT: The US spending bill ‘doubles security cooperation funding for Taiwan,’ while also seeking to counter the influence of China US President Joe Biden on Saturday signed into law a US$1.2 trillion spending package that includes US$300 million in foreign military financing to Taiwan, as well as funding for Taipei-Washington cooperative projects. The US Congress early on Saturday overwhelmingly passed the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act 2024 to avoid a partial shutdown and fund the government through September for a fiscal year that began six months ago. Under the package, the Defense Appropriations Act would provide a US$27 billion increase from the previous fiscal year to fund “critical national defense efforts, including countering the PRC [People’s Republic of China],” according to a summary