The Executive Yuan yesterday announced that students at Ciaotou Elementary School’s Syucuo (許厝) branch are to be transferred to Fongrong Elementary School in Lunbei Township (崙背) to avoid further exposure to pollutants from Formosa Petrochemical Corp’s naphtha cracker in Yunlin County’s Mailiao Township (麥寮).
A three-year study conducted by the National Health Research Institutes (NHRI) found that thiodiglycolic acid (TdGA) levels in the urine — an indicator of carcinogen vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) exposure — of Syucuo students were significantly higher than students in other schools.
The finding was reported to Yunlin County’s Health Bureau and the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) in June to decide whether the Syucuo branch, which is about 900m from the naphtha cracker, should be relocated.
During one of the three forums Premier Lin Chuan (林全) held with civic groups on the issue last week, National Taiwan University (NTU) public health professor Chan Chang-chuan (詹長權), who has conducted epidemiological studies near the cracker for several years, suggested that the government relocate students at the Syucuo branch to protect their health.
At the Health Promotion Administration yesterday, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Director Guo Yue-liang (郭育良) said the NHRI study showed that the urinary TdGA levels of Syucuo students who were moved to the main campus of Ciaotou Elementary School dropped by about 20 percent.
“The average urinary TdGA level was 173 micrograms per gram of creatinine [mcg/g-creatinine] when they were at the Syucuo branch, 900m from the cracker, but the average urinary TdGA level was 147mcg/g-creatinine after they were moved to the main campus, 5.5km from the cracker plant,” he said.
The students’ average urinary TdGA level further dropped to 35mcg/g-creatinine during the summer vacation, he said.
Kuo said a urinary TdGA level of more than 160mcg/g-creatinine can cause damage to liver functions.
NTU Hospital pediatrician Chang Luan-yin (張鑾英) said that since the study clearly showed that urinary TdGA levels in students dropped the farther they were from the cracker, the Syucuo branch should be relocated for the sake of the students.
Executive Yuan spokesman Tung Chen-yuan (童振源) said that Lin values Chan’s suggestion and as the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s specialists review had confirmed that environmental pollution posed a threat to students’ health, the government has decided to relocate the Syucuo students to Fongrong Elementary School.
Tung said that the Ministry of Education on Aug. 5 approved a budget of NT$872,000 (US$27,404) for Fongrong to expand and improve its school building and teaching facilities, with all work expected to be completed before school starts on Monday next week.
The Executive Yuan asks all related departments to assist the Yunlin County Government and engage in risk communication with the students, families and faculty, as well as continue to investigate the pollution source, monitor the environment and conduct epidemiological studies on health risks to sensitive groups, he added.
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