the Federal transport Minister, Andreas Scheuer is happy about the Initiative of more than a hundred lung doctors, particulate matter and nitrogen oxide limits in question.
“We need a holistic point of view,” said the CSU politician on Thursday morning in the ARD morning magazine. “If over 100 scientists close together, it is a Signal.” The previous debate he called it “very bizarre”.
limit values for fine dust not scientifically justifiable
The group of lung specialists questioned the health Benefits of the applicable limit values for fine dust and nitrogen oxides (NOx). They see no scientific rationale that would justify the current upper limits, said in a statement.
With its initiative to the lung doctors are also against a position paper of the German society for pneumology and respiratory medicine (DGP), which had been published in 2018. It stated: “studies show that fine particulate pollution by agriculture, industry and transport is harmful to health.” The DGP, the German lung Foundation and the Association of pneumological clinics, said on Wednesday that the advance will be considered as an impetus for needed research and a critical Review.
diesel bans in the cities are more to the discussion
limit values are the basis for diesel bans in cities. In the EU a year for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) mean of 40 micrograms per cubic meter for respirable dust, and there are values depending on the particle size. The values can be exceeded for longer, are bans for Diesel vehicles to the debate. The Union holds the values to be too high.
Scheuer said, the EU gives the possibility to limit the measuring stations to be placed where the air pollutants are highest. This he considers “a reasonable approach to the limits”.
New results of study: fine dust caused significantly more deaths than assumed DPA
The German bar Association (DAV) has criticised the diesel driving bans in cities, meanwhile, sharply. The prohibitions of a limited number of private people and businesses in their constitutionally guaranteed personal and professional freedom, said Andreas Krämer of the DAV working group traffic law.
The limit value of 40 micrograms of nitrogen dioxide per cubic meter of air, annual average appeared to be irrational, said the lawyer at the traffic law in Goslar. He was entirely arbitrary. In many workplaces there is a higher pollutant load.
the connection between air pollutants and diseases?
The state Secretary in the Federal Ministry for the environment, Jochen Flasbarth, rejected, however, the criticism of the lungs doctors. The applicable limits are the result of many studies, he said “rbb-inforadio”. They showed that pollutants there is a connection between the air and lungs – as well as cardiovascular diseases.
At the Doctors-criticism, it was a purely political statement and not a scientific debate. “Since 2010, these limits are to be observed. We don’t, but that’s not why to do, because the limits are wrong, but because the industry has sold dirty cars, and because the transport policy has idly stood by and watched,” said Flasbarth.
Anton Hofreiter, Chairman of the Greens, said that in the debate strange comparisons would be drawn. “If it means that, although there were some Deaths due to lung cancer, however, not by fine dust or nitrogen oxide, then this is misleading: Even a smoker dies, not the smoke itself, but to the consequences, whether the lung cancer or heart attack.”
could decide While the Individual is aware of anti-Smoking, whether he be at the mercy of the harmful substances on the roads unprotected, so Hofreiter. Politics have the task to minimize risks and to protect citizens against hazards. The danger meet, especially children, Pregnant women and the Elderly to busy roads. If you don’t take this seriously, this is negligence.
