Levels of PM2.5 in Kaohsiung and Pingtung have fallen over the past four years, the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) said yesterday, as it considers setting up an air pollution management task force to address pollution in southern Taiwan.
The risk of developing lung adenocarcinoma was 15 times higher in the area than in northern Taiwan, potentially because of high emissions of PM2.5, or fine particulate matter measuring 2.5 micrometers or smaller, according to a joint study conducted by multiple universities, the National Health Research Institutes (NHRI) and the Taiwan Society of Cancer Registry.
Greater regional air pollution could be caused by the concentration of heavy industry in the area, the EPA said.
The government in 2015 implemented measures to reduce PM2.5 emissions, such as controlling emissions from fixed and mobile sources, promoting relevant policies in state-owned businesses, cutting down on diesel-powered vehicle emissions, promoting the collective burning of joss paper and reducing the number of events at which joss paper is burned, it said.
Overall air pollution has dropped from 198,403 tonnes in 2015 to 182,448 tonnes last year, the agency said.
General PM2.5 density in the Kaohsiung-Pingtung region dropped by 20.4 percent over the period, or from 23.5 micrograms per cubic meter (mcg/m3) in 2015 to 18.7mcg/m3 last year, it said.
The measures are expected to decrease air pollution emissions by 17,933 tonnes over the next four years, including 652 tonnes of particulate matter, 7,419 tonnes of sulfur dioxide, 8,666 tonnes of nitrogen oxide and 1,196 tonnes of volatile organic compounds, it added.
The EPA said that overall air quality has improved in the south, although it is continuing to hold talks with residents and to develop more efficient uses for the Air Pollution Control Fund.
While people are taking more actions to mitigate the effects of air pollution, such as wearing face masks, PM2.5 exposure in indoor environments or while traveling could also affect public health, NHRI associate researcher Chen Yu-cheng (陳裕政) said.
A two-year survey monitoring PM2.5 density in different environments showed that temples have the highest density among indoor environments at 62.5mcg/m3, Chen said.
Restaurants were second at 33.9mcg/m3, followed by offices, classrooms and barbershops with 18mcg/m3 each, Chen added.
The PM2.5 levels at temples that restrict incense burning were about the same as the atmospheric concentration levels, while those without such restrictions increased by 36.1mcg/m3 per hour, Chen said.
Korean barbecue restaurants had the highest PM2.5 density at 87mcg/m3, followed by teppanyaki restaurants (84mcg/m3) and steak restaurants (83mcg/m3), Chen said.
Direct exposure to a heat source exposes diners to higher PM2.5 concentration levels, Chen said, adding that people at Korean restaurants are exposed to 4.8 times more PM2.5 compared with those eating at Japanese restaurants.
People should choose restaurants with separated kitchen areas and well-ventilated dining areas, Chen said.
Night markets have the highest PM2.5 density for outdoor environments at 59.9mcg/m3, while traditional markets were second at 41.4mcg/m3, the survey showed.
Among travelers, scooter drivers are exposed to the highest PM2.5 density at 40.2mcg/m3, followed by train passengers at 32.4mcg/m3 and bus riders at 31.3mcg/m3, while cars have the lowest level at 16.5mcg/m3, the survey showed.
Additional reporting by CNA
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