The Control Yuan has urged the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) to set up more air quality monitoring stations nationwide after an investigation initiated by Control Yuan members found that fine-particulate air pollution had become much more widespread in the country and was the cause of about 440 cardiovascular deaths in Taipei each year.
The investigation, launched last year by Control Yuan members Chou Yang-shan (周陽山) and Yin Jeo-chen (尹祚芊), found that while fine particles have been proven to have adverse health effects on humans, little research has been conducted thus far by the Academia Sinica, the National Science Council and the Department of Health (DOH) on the matter.
Singling out the department, the report said that the department had only carried out one research project pertaining to the hazardous pollutant over the past five years and had allocated no resources whatsoever to address the matter last year and this year.
“The department has also failed to make the best of the research advantages of the National Health Research Institutes, which put it on suspicion of neglecting a [major] problem,” the report said.
Fine particles are defined as particles with an aerodynamic diameter of or less than 2.5mm and can easily travel into a human’s respiratory tract and cardiovascular system through inhalation.
The main sources of such particles include sandstorms and emissions from petrochemical plants and vehicles.
Symptoms of exposure to fine-particulate pollution can include minor reactions, such as skin allergies, eye irritation and coughing, or more aggravated reactions in the form of asthma, rhinitis, conjunctivitis and cardiovascular disease.
Research statistics show that in the past 14 years, an average of 16 people from Taipei and New Taipei City (新北市) die of cardiovascular diseases whenever a sandstorm strikes the area.
In the region, a total of 4,400 people have died of similar diseases due to such storms, which usually occur between November and May, during the past decade.
The report said that based on EPA estimates, more than 30 percent of the fine particles in Taiwan came from other countries, such as China, where sandstorms run rampant, and that only 57 air quality monitoring stations have been established nationwide to keep track of the country’s fine particle concentration.
“The EPA should intensively set up more monitoring stations across Taiwan, in particular along the country’s western coast and at downwind locations from the Changhua Coastal Industrial Park, the Yunlin Offshore Industrial Park and the Kaoshiung Linhai Industrial Park, so that concerned authorities could receive an alert when air pollutants reach hazardous level and respond by calling off schools in those areas,” the report said.
The report also mentioned the passive attitude demonstrated by DOH officials and called on the department to put in place emergency countermeasures.
Alain Robert, known as the "French Spider-Man," praised Alex Honnold as exceptionally well-prepared after the US climber completed a free solo ascent of Taipei 101 yesterday. Robert said Honnold's ascent of the 508m-tall skyscraper in just more than one-and-a-half hours without using safety ropes or equipment was a remarkable achievement. "This is my life," he said in an interview conducted in French, adding that he liked the feeling of being "on the edge of danger." The 63-year-old Frenchman climbed Taipei 101 using ropes in December 2004, taking about four hours to reach the top. On a one-to-10 scale of difficulty, Robert said Taipei 101
Nipah virus infection is to be officially listed as a category 5 notifiable infectious disease in Taiwan in March, while clinical treatment guidelines are being formulated, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. With Nipah infections being reported in other countries and considering its relatively high fatality rate, the centers on Jan. 16 announced that it would be listed as a notifiable infectious disease to bolster the nation’s systematic early warning system and increase public awareness, the CDC said. Bangladesh reported four fatal cases last year in separate districts, with three linked to raw date palm sap consumption, CDC Epidemic Intelligence
US climber Alex Honnold left Taiwan this morning a day after completing a free-solo ascent of Taipei 101, a feat that drew cheers from onlookers and gained widespread international attention. Honnold yesterday scaled the 101-story skyscraper without a rope or safety harness. The climb — the highest urban free-solo ascent ever attempted — took just more than 90 minutes and was streamed live on Netflix. It was covered by major international news outlets including CNN, the New York Times, the Guardian and the Wall Street Journal. As Honnold prepared to leave Taiwan today, he attracted a crowd when he and his wife, Sanni,
Taiwanese and US defense groups are collaborating to introduce deployable, semi-autonomous manufacturing systems for drones and components in a boost to the nation’s supply chain resilience. Taiwan’s G-Tech Optroelectronics Corp subsidiary GTOC and the US’ Aerkomm Inc on Friday announced an agreement with fellow US-based Firestorm Lab to adopt the latter’s xCell, a technology featuring 3D printers fitted in 6.1m container units. The systems enable aerial platforms and parts to be produced in high volumes from dispersed nodes capable of rapid redeployment, to minimize the risk of enemy strikes and to meet field requirements, they said. Firestorm chief technology officer Ian Muceus said
RSS