Source: Apple Daily [Comprehensive Report]

Breathing Can Be Deadly! The World Health Organization (WHO) released a report two days ago, stating that 93% of the global population, or about 1.8 billion children under the age of 15, are exposed to air pollution levels exceeding safety standards. In 2016 alone, approximately 600,000 children under the age of 15 died due to air pollution. WHO Secretary-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus strongly criticized, "This is unforgivable. Every child should breathe clean air to grow and reach their full potential." The Guardian described air pollution as a "ticking time bomb" for children.

90% of Children Exposed to Air Pollution Crisis

The WHO held the "Global Air Pollution and Health Conference" in Geneva, Switzerland, yesterday and released the report Air Pollution and Children's Health. The report highlights the dangers of air pollution to children worldwide, especially in low- and middle-income countries, where up to 98% of children under five are exposed to air pollution levels exceeding PM2.5 standards. Even in high-income countries, 52% of children under five breathe polluted air. According to WHO standards, the daily average PM2.5 should not exceed 25 μg/m³, and the annual average should not exceed 10 μg/m³.

One reason why children are especially vulnerable to air pollution is that they breathe faster than adults, so they absorb more pollutants. Additionally, because their brains and bodies are still developing, and they live closer to the ground, the concentration of pollutants is higher at this level. In homes where polluting fuels and technologies are used for cooking, heating, and lighting, newborns and young children are also more susceptible to indoor air pollution.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Air Quality Protection Director Wu Shengzhong responded, noting that children are particularly vulnerable as they are at the height of vehicle exhaust pipes, and mobile pollution sources affect them more than adults. In response, the government is tightening emissions from vehicles, promoting electric cars, and granting local governments the authority to designate air quality maintenance zones. As of 2020, schools and hospitals are prioritized for such designations, with high-pollution vehicles banned from school zones and idling vehicles strictly prohibited.

Taiwan University’s School of Public Health Dean Zhan Changquan mentioned that studies on adults have confirmed that Taiwan sees approximately 6,000 to 8,000 deaths annually due to fine particulate matter (PM) pollution. The pollution is more severe in central and southern Taiwan than in the north, and worse in the west than in the east.

More Sensitive to Irritants

A research team from the National Health Research Institutes, led by Professor Guo Yuliang, investigated the short-term effects of air pollution on Taiwanese children aged 6 to 15, in studies conducted in 2011 and 2016-2017. They found that for every 10 μg/m³ increase in suspended particulate matter (PM10), there was a 2% decrease in the first-second exhaled volume, a 1.86% decrease in forced vital capacity, and a 2.28% decrease in peak expiratory flow. Guo Yuliang noted that exposure to high levels of PM2.5, PM10, and ozone, even for short periods, significantly affects lung capacity.

Dr. Jiang Qihui, an attending physician in the Chest Department at Taipei Veterans General Hospital, emphasized that air pollution not only harms adults but also affects children, whose respiratory and immune systems are still developing, making them more sensitive to the irritants in air pollution.

PM2.5 Penetrates Alveoli

PM2.5 refers to fine particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers or smaller (about 1/28th the diameter of a human hair) that can penetrate the alveoli in the lungs and enter the bloodstream. Higher PM2.5 levels mean worse air quality and an increased risk of lung cancer and cardiovascular diseases. The Taiwan Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) sets the standard for PM2.5 daily average at 35 μg/m³ (35 micrograms per cubic meter). Exceeding this value means exposure to dangerous levels of pollution.