Ko Y C
School of Public Health, Kaohsiung Medical College, Taiwan, Republic of China.
Kaohsiung J Med Sci. 1996 Dec;12(12):657-69.
The are a number of particular features of air pollution in Taiwan, as described below: (1) In Taiwan area, the air load of pollutants is more serious than previously reported. (2) There exists severe air pollution throughout the island. (3) Industry is the major source of pollution. (4) No demarcation exists between plants and residential quarters. (5) There is a high concentration of pollutants indoors/outdoors. The influence of air pollution spreads over all aspects of physical health, primarily on the respiratory tract, causing lung cancer and exaggerating cardiovascular diseases. A few Taiwanese studies are reviewed below which deserve more elaboration. (1) Use PM10 for indexing health effect. The annual average value of PM10 in Taiwan has been around 70 micrograms/m3 in 1994. Dr. Schwarz indicated that no safety margin could be derived; for each additional 10 micrograms/ m3 of PM10, the death number could be increased by 1% on the basis of Western studies. (2) Research with reference to lung cancer cases in the Kaohsiung Medical College Hospital. Living within 3 km of industrial district counted for 9% of cases and caused a 6-fold increase in the risk of disease for people living more than 20 years in the case control study for lung cancer. (3) Death due to cancer of inhabitants close to petroleum and petrochemical industries. For youths and children below 20 years, cancers related to brain tumors were 2-4 fold of what was expected deaths. Analysis of another petrochemical complex in Chienchen, Kaohsiung, revealed the inhabitants within 1 km showed a higher standardized mortality ratio for cancers of the lung, kidney, urinary bladder, and leukemia than was to be expected. (4) Lower lung function and higher incidence of respiratory diseases among residents near a coal-fired power plant (within 3 Km) compared to residents who lived further away from the plant (3-11 Km). (5) Lead contamination around a kindergarten near a battery recycling plant. There was increased lead absorption among children of the exposed kindergarten and its this was associated with the extent of air and soil pollution in the surrounding area. In considering above limited epidemiologic evidence, the following recommendations are presented: (1) to conduct investigation promptly for the correlation of air pollution to disease morbidity and death of inhabitants of Taiwan. (2) to reevaluate ambient air quality standards on the basis of Taiwanese health studies. (3) to assess the analytical data of past records on the concentrations of air pollutants. (4) collection of surcharge fee for air pollution. (5) Regulation for compensation of pollution victims among industry. (6) development of environmental health related industries. (7) Participation of various parties who are concerned the environmental health. One thing is certain, everyong would be able to breath air which, as far as possible, is clean.
台湾空气污染有一些特定特征，如下所述：（1）在台湾地区，污染物的空气负荷比先前报告的更为严重。（2）全岛存在严重的空气污染。（3）工业是主要污染源。（4）工厂与居民区之间没有界限。（5）室内/室外污染物浓度高。空气污染的影响波及身体健康的各个方面，主要是呼吸道，会引发肺癌并加重心血管疾病。以下回顾一些值得进一步阐述的台湾研究。（1）用PM10来衡量健康影响。1994年台湾PM10的年平均值约为70微克/立方米。施瓦茨博士指出无法得出安全边际；根据西方研究，PM10每增加10微克/立方米，死亡人数可能增加1%。（2）高雄医学院附属医院关于肺癌病例的研究。在工业区3公里范围内居住的病例占9%，在肺癌病例对照研究中，居住超过20年的人群患病风险增加了6倍。（3）靠近石油和石化行业居民的癌症死亡情况。对于20岁以下的青少年和儿童，与脑肿瘤相关的癌症是预期死亡人数的2至4倍。对高雄茄萣另一石化厂区的分析显示，1公里范围内的居民肺癌、肾癌、膀胱癌和白血病的标准化死亡率高于预期。（4）与居住在距燃煤电厂较远（3 - 11公里）的居民相比，靠近燃煤电厂（3公里范围内）的居民肺功能较低且呼吸道疾病发病率较高。（5）电池回收厂附近一所幼儿园周围的铅污染。受影响幼儿园儿童的铅吸收增加，这与周边空气和土壤污染程度有关。考虑到上述有限的流行病学证据，提出以下建议：（1）迅速调查台湾空气污染与居民疾病发病率和死亡率之间的相关性。（2）根据台湾的健康研究重新评估环境空气质量标准。（3）评估过去空气污染物浓度记录的分析数据。（4）征收空气污染附加费。（5）规范工业对污染受害者的赔偿。（6）发展与环境卫生相关的产业。（7）各相关方参与环境卫生事务。有一点是肯定的，每个人都能够呼吸尽可能清洁的空气。
