The debate on particulate matter in Germany has been reignited on Wednesday. The former President of the German society for pneumology (DGP), Dieter Köhler, has written a petition, in which he sees no scientific justification for the current particulate matter and nitrogen oxide limits. More than 100 lung doctors have signed up to its calling as the “image”newspaper reported.
what is the criticism?
criticising The signatories of the call, the applicable assumptions, the health risk posed by fine dust and nitrogen oxides are devoid of any proven scientific basis. Thus, also the limit values set for nitrogen dioxide 40 micrograms per cubic meter of air, were not justified. Arguments include: If any of the above pollutants would require in slightly above the limit values concentrations, in fact, among other things, of the world health organisation calculated the additional deaths would have to smokers who inhaled up to a Million Times more fine dust to die within weeks. Overall, the underlying studies are not suitable to justify the limits. Dieter Köhler has expressed appropriate criticism, for example, in an article for the Deutsche Ärzteblatt in the past year.
what is the response of the Criticized?
The criticism is also directed against the DGP, so exactly the specialist society, the current leaders from 2005 to 2007, as President of the Board of Directors. She left on Wednesday they announced that you look at the opinion, “as the impetus for the necessary research activities and critical Review of the impact of nitrogen oxides and particulate matter”. By the end of 2018, the DGP had warned in a position paper before the health hazards of fine dust and nitrogen oxides, and more efforts to reduce these substances as required. To the defense of the applicable limits is led by environmental physicians often, however, that the burden of other pollutants will reduce. But this is not always the case. So modern poke around and clean up the existing diesel units particles from increasingly being very small in size, which are not captured by the currently used measuring stations. Due to their size, they stay much longer in the air and can penetrate deeper into the lung and is likely to be better in the organism. Research on its risks is still in its infancy, but there is disturbing evidence.
How dangerous is particulate matter?
estimates are always published, in which high Numbers of preventable deaths and significantly reduced average life expectancy due to fine dust and nitrogen oxides. The European environment Agency about expected in October, nearly half a Million premature deaths per year for Europe. In fact, however, is largely unclear whether and how harmful the concentrations are actually. Environment-fine dust exposure as a specific cause of death, for example, is practically attested to never. But above all, the quality of the underlying studies is usually low and does not allow inferences on causal relationships at all. Other factors (for example, to fine dust-loaded, busy streets, more people live and work in can be detrimental to health Professions, and in other ways less health-promoting life) can play a role in the results of these studies. The formulas, which are then extrapolated, and when those Numbers reached, are doubtful.
How useful are the current limits?
The specific limit value of 40 micrograms of NO2 per cubic meter of air is basically based only on estimates, and these come from a completely different area than road transport: the burden of gas cookers indoors. The Situation is similar in the case of the fine-dust-is-border. Martin Hetzel, chief physician at the pulmonology Department of a clinic in Stuttgart – one of the cities with the greatest problems in complying with it – said the “Stuttgarter Nachrichten”, none of the patients on his ward was “because of the fine dust here”. He sees an “unjustified concern of the population”. In the workplace also significantly higher limits apply, for example, for NO2 (in Germany 950 micrograms/m3, in Switzerland, 6000 µg/m3). Due to the difficulty to draw conclusions from the existing data, it is almost impossible to define sensible limits. An Argument for strict limits, the precautionary principle is, in addition, they are likely to be, at least, for the protection of particularly sensitive people.
what is the reaction of the policy to the call?
The Federal Ministry for the environment, defended the limits. The legislation is aimed to ensure that all people could be anywhere and at any time to inhale the outside air easily, said a spokesman of the environment Minister Svenja Schulze (SPD). “The need to apply for healthy people as for people with Asthma, for people who are older, or especially for small children.” This motif of the limit values for nitrogen oxide and fine dust followed. They were built on a “solid scientific Basis” and was followed by the evaluation of the world health organization WHO. That air pollution shortened the life time and diseases transported, is scientifically uncontroversial, said the spokesman. In the limits of a permanent burden, not to single events.
the Federal transport Minister, Andreas Scheuer (CSU) welcomed, however, of the opinion. “The scientific approach has the weight to overcome the approach of Forbidding, Restricting, and Verärgerns,” he said of the Funke media group. The Initiative is an important and overdue step. The Green languages on the other hand, a “distraction”. The debate “chaotisiert forbidden to the already complex situation in the case of the driving,” said group Vice Oliver Krischer. Notwithstanding the Statements of the 100 experts there is “a broad consensus that nitrogen oxides are also in the low level is harmful and the limit should actually be strengthened,” said Krischer. “You can set in Germany, at then, that in the case of environmental problems, the limits and the measuring methods to be challenged.” Frank Sitta, Deputy FDP-group Chairman, called for a re-evaluation of the limits. “The debate shows that now is the right time, again on a Moratorium on the limits of oxides of nitrogen in the Bundestag to vote on it.”
What environmental groups and industry, of the opinion?
The German car Association VDA has welcomed you: “The more facts in the debate, the better.” There is a need for clarity on the impact of different NOx concentrations in the air. The ADAC called for a Review of the EU’s current NOx-limits. “If citizens are affected by driving bans, you need to be able to rely on the fact that the current limits are scientifically justified,” said the Vice-President of the car club, Ulrich Klaus Becker. The EU Commission should take the scientific basis of their limits quickly under the magnifying glass. Also, the Central Association of German motor vehicle industry. ZDK-Vice-President Thomas Peckruhn claimed that the limits for NOx and particulate matter, to suspend, to scientifically reasoned clarity. (with dpa)
