A study by the National Health Research Institutes (NHRI) suggested that exposure to air pollution consisting of fine particulate matter smaller than 2.5 micrometers (PM2.5) could heighten the risks of congenital heart defects in infants, and decreased muscle mass and increased body fat in older people.
While the annual average PM2.5 concentration in Taiwan has declined each year, current levels remain unhealthy for certain sensitive groups, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences research fellow Guo Yue-liang (郭育良) said on Monday.
As PM2.5 is lighter, and can stay in the air longer and travel farther, it can penetrate deeply into the lungs or the circulatory system, and studies have also linked particle pollution exposure to increased risk of heart, lung and other respiratory diseases, as well as dementia and diabetes.
The NHRI study analyzed 782 cases of infants with congenital heart defects and 4,692 healthy infants, comparing the particulate matter concentration levels of where their mothers live, and found that particle pollution was generally higher in the places where the mothers of infants with congenital heart defects live.
The third to eighth week of pregnancy is a critical period for fetal heart development, so if the mother was exposed to high concentrations of particulate matter during this time, it could travel through the bloodstream to the placenta and have a negative effect on the infant, Guo said.
The study also analyzed the health exam results of 4,818 older people and found a link between exposure to higher PM2.5 concentrations and decreased muscle mass and increased body fat.
However, a further study of the causal relationship is needed, the NHRI said.
The main sources of outdoor particle pollution are traffic and industrial emissions, as well as outdoor burning, while the main sources of indoor particle pollution are cooking and burning incense, Guo said, adding that the use of an exhaust hood in the kitchen can also affect indoor pollution levels.
Seven of the 17 NT$10 million (US$311,604) winning receipts from the November-December uniform invoice lottery remain unclaimed as of today, the Ministry of Finance said, urging winners to redeem their prizes by May 5. The reminder comes ahead of the release of the winning numbers for the January-February lottery tomorrow. Among the unclaimed receipts was one for a NT$173 phone bill in Keelung, while others were for a NT$5,913 purchase at Costco in Taipei's Neihu District (內湖), a NT$49 purchase at a FamilyMart in New Taipei City's Tamsui District (淡水), and a NT$500 purchase at a tea shop in New Taipei City's
Taiwanese officials were shown the first of 66 F-16V fighter jets purchased by Taiwan from the United States, the Ministry of National Defense said yesterday, adding the aircraft has completed an initial flight test and is expected to be delivered later this year. A delegation led by Deputy Minister of National Defense Hsu Szu-chien (徐斯儉) visited Lockheed Martin’s F-16 C/D Block 70 (also known as F-16V) assembly line in South Carolina on March 16 to view the aircraft. The jet will undergo a final acceptance flight in the US before being delivered to Taiwan, the
The New Taipei Metro's Sanyin Line and the eastern extension of the Taipei Metro's Tamsui-Xinyi Line (Red Line) are scheduled to begin operations in June, the National Development Council said today. The Red Line, which terminates at Xiangshan Station, would be connected by the 1.4km extension to a new eastern terminal, Guangci/Fengtian Temple Station, while the Sanyin Line would link New Taipei City's Tucheng and Yingge stations via Sanxia District (三峽). The council gave the updates at a council meeting reviewing progress on public construction projects for this year. Taiwan's annual public infrastructure budget would remain at NT$800 billion (US$25.08 billion), with NT$97.3
TALENT SCOUTING: The university is investing substantial funds in its future to bring in the kind of researchers that would keep the college internationally competitive National Taiwan University (NTU) plans to invest NT$2 billion (US$62.6 million) to launch two programs aimed at attracting and retaining top research talent, university president Chen Wen-chang (陳文章) said yesterday. The funding would support the “Palm Grove Scholars Project,” which targets academics aged 40 to 55. Up to 20 scholars would be selected, each receiving as much as NT$10 million annually, Chen said. The initiative is designed to attract leading researchers to Taiwan and strengthen NTU’s global competitiveness by fostering a more research-friendly environment and expanding international collaboration, he said. NTU is also introducing a “Hong Hu” chair grant, which would provide Palm
RSS