Taipei: NGOs and medical groups have called on Taiwan’s government to enhance air pollution monitoring, citing serious health risks, including dementia, from exposure to pollutants like PM2.5.
According to Focus Taiwan, air pollution is identified as one of 14 modifiable risk factors for dementia in a 2024 report by The Lancet, as highlighted by Wu Hsi-lin, former president of the Taiwan Neurological Society, during a news conference in Taipei. Wu emphasized that prolonged exposure to pollutants such as PM2.5 and nitrogen oxides can lead to brain inflammation and oxidative stress throughout the body, contributing to neurological degeneration and cognitive decline.
“This type of environmental stress [from air pollution] particularly affects urban populations and the elderly,” Wu stated, noting that Taiwan’s aging society necessitates urgent attention to this issue. Huang Jian-pei, secretary-general of the Taiwan Association of Obstetrics and Gynecology, underscored the importance of raising awareness about air pollution, pointing out that individuals have no choice but to breathe in polluted air, especially in densely populated metropolitan areas.
Huang warned that without effective control measures, there could be an increase in dementia cases and other diseases. He highlighted air pollution as a contributing factor to many leading causes of death in Taiwan. Kuender Yang, vice superintendent of MacKay Children’s Hospital, discussed the interplay between genetic factors and environmental exposures early in life as a common cause of adult diseases, including diabetes and cardiovascular conditions, which may be linked to air pollution.
Yeh Guang-perng, founder of Air Clean Taiwan, advocated for the government to install more air pollution monitoring stations near traffic hotspots and to begin regular monitoring of ultrafine particles like PM0.1. Yeh noted the current lack of monitoring stations near major traffic areas and suggested encouraging the public to use “active transport” options like walking and cycling or public transportation to reduce pollution.
Yeh emphasized the need for the government to promote “active transport,” improve infrastructure, and enhance public transit accessibility to address the air pollution crisis effectively.