Dangerous smoke signals

A report in the British Medical Journal of June 22, Long-Term Exposure To Air Pollution Decreases Life Expectancy, draws attention to a new updated report, based on recent additional evidence, including a large-scale European cohort study, issued by the UK Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants (COMEAP).

On the basis of the additional data, COMEAP commented as follows: "We are left with little doubt that long-term exposure to air pollutants has an effect on mortality and, thus, decreases life expec-tancy" and that "The estimates of burden of disease, based on the conclusions from this evidence, indicate very significant public health impacts and have important policy implications".

This report also found further evidence to strengthen the case for association of "particulates" with premature mortality.

What, exactly, are "particulates"? Simply put, particulates are extremely fine sooty particles emitted by all internal combustion engines but especially by diesel engines. Particulates are toxic and extremely dangerous to health. The black smoke emitted by our diesel buses (and many other diesel vehicles) is an abundant source of such "particulates".

Given the scientific evidence, the degree of pollution in our streets, particularly from the smoke emitted by buses, must be causing ill health, especially in high-risk groups such as children, asthmatics and sick people. It is also a certainty that today's pollution will have long-term consequences such as stunted lung development in growing children and an excess of lung and other cancers in years to come.

That particulates have been shown, yet again, to be of pivotal importance is of great relevance to Malta. Pollution has, in general, many sources but that which affects people most in Malta is caused by traffic because this occurs at street level in our crowded urbanised areas. We have an abundance of (mostly old) diesel-driven vehicles on our roads and the worst polluters are clearly our old buses, which visibly pollute our environment with phenomenal quantities of fine particulates and other exhaust pollutants.

This pollution is remediable through immediate action against offending buses. The emission of black smoke by so many diesel-driven vehicles is said to be a result of illegal tampering with engines and/or illegal use (or admixture) of substitute fuels. Buses circulate predominantly in densely built up - and often crowded - areas, they travel far more kilometres per day than private (usually petrol-driven) vehicles. This enormously multiplies their potential for pollution.

Two important issues must be raised.

First, claims by the Malta Transport Authority (ADT) (The Times, July 10) that vehicular emission testing was "still being carried through road-side testing, random checks on private, passenger-carrying and goods-carrying vehicles (including public transport buses, coaches, trucks, heavy vehicles)...".

This simply cannot be the case because since the majority of buses, coaches and so many heavy vehicles continue to spew smoke out into pedestrians' faces. It is incomprehensible how these buses continue to emit visible smoke that is there for all to see (including our traffic wardens and police) with impunity when every scrap of scientific evidence now shows that this is a serious health hazard.

Second, why does a VRT test need to be performed on a vehicle (usually a bus) that visibly emits smoke? If it emits smoke then it is polluting and should be taken off the road immediately.

The 2001 COMEAP report and The Today Public Policy Institute report, Towards A Low Carbon Society: The Nation's Health, Energy Security And Fossil Fuels, published over a year ago (available on request from gdmc@kemmunet.net.mt), drew attention to particulates as the most dangerous element of traffic pollution. Yet, in spite of these and other reports - and numerous complaints from the public - nothing has been done to the detriment of the health of everybody but, especially, of children. Why not?

The severe pollution detected by air quality monitoring is a measure of the indifference of ADT, the Ministry for Rural Affairs and the Environment, and the Health Department. These departments will have a lot to answer for in years to come when excess cancer cases start to appear, for which they should rightly be held responsible.

The updated COMEAP report now makes it all the more urgent for the government and the Health Department to seriously and urgently address the threat to the nation's health through pollution.

The Health Department did a very competent job in the case of outlawing smoking in enclosed public place; this department should now rise to the equally, if not more, important challenge of our severe traffic pollution.

Not to do so will be a failure in its duty to protect the nation's health.