By: Jocelyne Hilary, Staff Writer
There has been growing concern due to the air pollution in China as health risks associated with pollution have been on the rise.
Air pollution came to the public’s attention following the alarming news that an eight year old from the Jiangsu province had become the youngest lung cancer patient in the country. The hospital treating her denied reports that her health conditions had any affiliations to air pollution, but the topic of air pollution is a growing concern among citizens as the number of lung cancer cases soars.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that millions of people are killed annually due to air pollution. Despite the fact that smoking is still the primary cause of lung cancer, health officials from Beijing state that air pollution is also becoming a threat.
Over the last decade, the number of cases of lung cancer has increased by more than 50 percent in Beijing. An article published by the “Beijing Municipal” stated that in 2011, the number of lung cancer patients had jumped to 63.09 per 100,000 people in comparison to 39.56 back in 2002.
Although the article failed to mention the cause for the increase in lung cancer, the WHO published a scientific report that showed a correlation between air pollution and lung cancer.
Air pollution in China, especially in the capital Beijing, has reached a record high and the WHO have been concerned. Readings have indicated that pollution has passed the danger levels. The WHO say that the tiniest pollution particles should not have a concentration exceeding 25 micrograms per cubic centimeter, and China has a concentration above 100 micrograms.
The Chinese embassy has warned the US embassy not to publish this data. China’s economic and industrial growth is the primary cause for this rapid rise in pollution. The skyline in Beijing is so misty that there have even been some claims that people can almost taste the impurity of the air.
Last year there had been a rather serious political debacle over China’s pollution problem when there had been a few days of steady smog, it was so out of control that people had to go and buy face masks. “Tabao.com,” one of China’s largest online sites, reported selling 20,000 face masks in Beijing alone.
Despite officials in Beijing stating that lung cancer is predominantly associated with lifestyle choice and that air pollution had little or no effect on health, the European Environmental Agency begs to differ. The airborne particles were starting to become a “significant threat,” and that issue could no longer be avoided.
Brett Nizamoff, Junior, expressed his concern with China, “I don’t think China is utilizing the pollution controlling mechanisms because of the expenses it would need. The cheap labor in China is shooting themselves in the foot. They’re more concerned with money than analyzing their risks and taking the necessary precautions to keep pollution low and keeping China safe for citizens.”
Top leaders in China have decided to take overdue action in regards to the situation; the fight for clean air is underway. The new measures are all targeted at reducing coal consumption, which provides energy for two thirds of China’s power plants. China hopes to reduce its coal consumption by 5 percent over the next several years, and hopes to substitute with cleaner and less damaging fuels.
The initiative also includes decreasing fine particle concentration in Beijing by a quarter. Although many people are happy to see China tackle the issue, many environmental agencies from around the world believe that China is being over ambitious and that real action needs to be seen in order to see whether or not they are taking growing environmental issues seriously.
