Government measures to control air pollution have effectively lowered the density of main pollutants, with more than 90 percent of air quality observation stations reporting a gradual decline in the density of PM2.5 (particulate matter measuring 2.5 micrometers or smaller in diameter), PM10, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide and carbon monoxide, the National Health Research Institutes (NHRI) said yesterday.
However, only 38 percent of the observation stations showed an improvement in ozone density, associate investigator Chen Yu-cheng (陳裕政) told a news conference to present the results of the institutes’ 10-year study.
Moreover, three stations even reported a gradual increase, he added.
Photo: CNA
The density of PM2.5 fell from 31.7 micrograms per cubic meter (mcg/m3) in 2007 to 21.47mcg/m3, while deaths caused by lung cancer dropped 4.26 percent, Chen said.
Deaths caused by other chronic diseases fell substantially, including 6.91 percent for chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, 6.56 percent for ischemic heart diseases and 7.31 percent for strokes.
A comparison of the health status of elderly people exposed to an environment with PM2.5 density of 25mcg/m3 with that of 32mcg/m3 showed that their grip strength and muscle mass decreased by 1.7 percent and 1.3 percent respectively, while their body fat increased by 2.4 percent, Chen said.
Based on the study, Taiwan would obtain the maximum benefit between the cost of economic development and the cost of improving public health if it could reduce PM2.5 concentrations to 12.5mcg/m3 — at which point both factors would be equal, Chen said.
If Taiwan hopes to reach the green sustainable development goal set by the UN, in which age-standardized attributable mortality rate caused by PM2.5 should be less than or equal to 18 per 100,000 people, the density should be further reduced to an annual average of 12.1mcg/m3, he said.
The Ministry of Environment on April 29 said that it would revise air quality standards after the results of the NHRI study are released.
The new standard for PM2.5 would be set at 12mcg/m3 after taking into account standards set in other countries, the ministry said.
Meanwhile, the air quality indicator would be revised in the second half of this year as well, it said.
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