Taiwan to tighten PM2.5 standards amid lung cancer concerns

2024-05-13

Taiwan is tightening its standards for PM2.5, which is linked to a higher risk of lung cancer. The Ministry of Environment will adjust its target from 15 to 12 micrograms per cubic meter. The change is based on the findings of an eight-year study conducted with the National Health Research Institutes.

Every day, the air we breathe contains industrial fumes, vehicle exhaust, and pollutants blown into Taiwan. In a bid to improve public health and reduce the risk of cancer, the NHRI is raising the standards for PM2.5.

Chen Yu-cheng
National Health Research Institutes
It can be quite costly to reduce pollution sources. But high concentrations of pollutants cause disease, and that is also very costly. We considered the economic and health costs and calculated that they intersect at a PM2.5 concentration of 12.5 micrograms per cubic meter.

The NHRI and Ministry of Environment conducted an eight-year study of air pollution standards. As a result of their findings, they will adjust Taiwan’s PM2.5 concentration threshold to 12 micrograms per cubic meter. An International Journal of Environmental Research study analyzed Taiwan’s PM2.5 concentrations over the past 20 years and compared them with cancer incidence rates. It found that exposure to PM2.5 for more than 30 years can significantly increase the risk of lung adenocarcinoma in women, non-smokers and people under 65 years of age.

Voice of Tsai Li-chuan
Formosa Cancer Foundation
PM2.5 is a significant risk factor for lung adenocarcinoma in Taiwan. So for people who live in polluted areas, we hope that through cancer screenings, cancer can be detected earlier.

The new standard aims to create cleaner air and reduce the cancer risk associated with air pollution.

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國衛院改善空品標準 PM2.5年平均值加嚴

2024-05-13

空氣中充滿各種廢氣與境外污染物，尤其肺癌位居台灣癌症死因榜首，國際環境研究期刊發現PM2.5空汙濃度，會大幅增加肺腺癌風險。國衛院與環境部攜手，執行2期共8年計畫，改善台灣空氣品質標準，將PM2.5年平均值加嚴為12μg/m3，藉此確保國人健康、降低罹癌風險。

工廠排放廢氣、汽機車排氣，還有隨季風而來的境外污染物，每一天吸進肺部的空氣，充滿各式各樣環境污染物。為確保國人健康、降低罹癌風險，國衛院要將PM2.5的標準門檻再提高。

[[國衛院環醫所研究員陳裕政]]
“汙染源，或者是其他方面的管控，都要花很多錢，那你不降(PM2.5)，濃度很高，會生病也要花很多錢，所以我們考量經濟的成本、考量健康的成本的花費之後，發現那一個交叉點在12.5左右。”

國衛院攜手環境部，執行8年計畫，改善台灣空氣品質標準，將PM2.5年平均值調整為每立方公尺12微克。國際環境研究期刊，分析環境部20年來全國PM2.5空汙濃度監測，比對台灣肺癌登記資料發現，持續暴露在PM2.5環境中超過30年，女性、不吸菸者、65歲以下成年人，肺腺癌風險大幅增加。

[[聲源:台灣癌症基金會副執行長蔡麗娟]]
“PM2.5是台灣肺腺癌，罹患肺腺癌一個很重要的危險因素，所以居住在空汙地區的民眾，希望藉由肺癌篩檢，能夠更早期去發現。”

預防勝於治療，生命環境本為一體，誰都不希望，空氣汙染成為惡性循環，吸進致命的一口氣。

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