Click to read the article in Turkish
The Right to Clean Air Platform, a group that consists of 16 NGOs in nature preservation and health areas, has released its 2020 Air Pollution Report.
The report titled, "The Black Report 2020: Air Pollution and Health Impact," focuses on air pollution data and preventable deaths in the country.
Here are some findings of the report, including the results of examinations that had been going on for four years:
Prof. Çiğdem Çağlayan, the representative of the Public Health Specialists' Association at the Platform, said they had serious problems with data availability while working on the report.
"Fine particulate matter (PM2.5), which is a carcinogenic substance, is not measured sufficiently (90 percent or more per year) in 60 provinces," she said. "It is urgently required to improve the data quality in terms of the number of measurement days in PM10 stations, to increase the number of stations where PM2.5 is measured, and to determine a national limit value for PM2.5 in the legislation."
Greenpeace Mediterranean's representative at the Platform, Onur Akgül pointed out the air pollution caused by coal fire plants.
"We request the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization not to allow these plants, which have not made the necessary investments to comply with environmental legislation, to operate," he said, referring to the plants in Afşin-Elbistan, Maraş.
Turkish Neurological Society representative Assoc. Prof. Semih Ayta stressed the impact of air pollution on peoples' genes.
"The effect of air pollution on our genes is not equal in all periods of life. The susceptibility to the effects of particulate matter increases in pre-pregnancy, the period in the womb, early childhood and old age.
"Studies on child patients show that air pollution triggers asthma attacks as a result of its effect on genes. Also, new studies have shown that exposure to particulate matter is associated with mental illness such as depression, "he said."
The Platform has made the following recommendations for improving air quality in the country:
About the right to clean air platformRight to Clean Air Platform, consists of 16 professional organizations and NGOs, working on air pollution and health impacts in Turkey since 2015. The aim of the Platform is to advocate for the right to live in an environment with clean air and to protect the public health from air pollution, especially resulting from the existing and the planned coal-fired power plants in Turkey. Platform Constituents are: CAN Europe, General Practitioner Association of Turkey, Greenpeace Mediterranean, Green Peace Law Association, Green Thought Association, Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL), Physicians for Environment Association, TEMA Foundation (The Turkish Foundation for Combating Soil Erosion, for Reforestation and the Protection of Natural Habitats), Turkish Medical Association (TTB), Turkish Neurological Society, Turkish Respiratory Society, Turkish Society of Occupational Health Specialists (İMUD), Turkish Society of Public Health Specialists (HASUDER), Yuva Association, WWF Turkey, 350.org. Source: https://www.temizhavahakki.com/english/ |
(TP/VK)