Deadly air pollution

Nationalist MP Frans Agius is quoted as saying in Parliament that 82 per cent of Malta's deaths were due to heart disease and cancer and that these were the result of "unbalanced diets, lack of exercise, smoking, excess alcohol consumption and obesity". This is only partly correct because it omits possibly the most important present-day cause of early death: air pollution. It is uncanny how ministers persist in omitting the issue of the air pollution arising out of combined emissions from electricity generation and road traffic.

The most potent contributors to pollution in our built-up areas must be the smoke emitted by our buses, diesel-driven commercial vehicles and many private diesel cars. This black smoke is an especially pernicious form of pollution because it is rich in so-called "particulates" which are known to be exceedingly toxic. Particulates have been shown to exceed EU limits and these levels were recorded from sites which are not necessarily locations where levels would be expected to be most representative. It has also been shown that adults and children residing in, or near, roads with heavy traffic are exposed to a greater risk of asthma and early death from heart or lung disease.

Epidemiological studies conducted worldwide have shown a consistent, increased risk of heart and lung disease, stroke and early deaths in relation to exposure to present-day concentrations of pollution, especially particulate matter. The scientific evidence of the adverse effects on health of air pollution was extensively reviewed in Part IV of the think tank report "Towards a Low Carbon Society - the Nation's Health, Energy Security and Fossil Fuels" which can be downloaded from http://www.tppi.org.mt/cms/index.php/reports.

Since the think tank report was compiled, the UK Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants (COMEAP) re-affirmed its concern over the significant public health impacts of pollution which have important public policy implications. COMEAP further emphasised the importance of the part played by "particulates" in shortened life expectancy. Only days ago the American Heart Association issued a new expert review statement which emphasised yet again the increased cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases and reduction of life expectancy caused by pollution.

In addition, pollution results in poor lung development in growing children and serious aggravation of asthma. This health threat should be a matter of grave concern for parents who reside in traffic-congested urban areas because their children's health is threatened through growing up in a polluted environment. This is especially the case where the traffic includes buses and commercial vehicles which emit smoke. Vehicles which emit smoke are causing heavy pollution and contravening regulations 107 and 195 of Motor Vehicles Regulations 1994; yet no action is being taken against them by police or wardens.

Malta's urban pollution should be a matter of grave public concern to our government but it seems that it is not. By remaining indifferent to our air pollution, our government is failing in its duty of protecting the nation's health.