German society for pneumology and respiratory medicine (DGP) calls for a lowering of the EU limit value for nitrogen dioxide. “In terms of nitrogen dioxide a limit value of 30 micrograms per cubic meter of air is, in my view, this makes sense,” said Professor Holger Schulz, Helmholtz center Munich, the daily die Welt. It is the task of politics, not of science, new upper limits had to be formulated. It is established that air pollutants are dangerous to health. “This is already at levels of 20 micrograms per cubic meter of air detected.”
The nitrogen dioxide limit is 40 micrograms per cubic meter of air, and is based on recommendations of the world health organization (WHO). The DGP assumes that the WHO will recommend that in the foreseeable future, a lowering of the limit values. Currently, will advise the organization on whether the such as in the EU’s limit corresponds to the current scientific knowledge, said Schulz.
Schulz is one of the authors of the position paper, which was presented to the DGP in November on the theme of air pollutants. It is in a Central location: “adverse Health effects of air diseases well studied and documented are pollutants in both the General population and in patients with different reason.” And further: “A further significant reduction of air pollution and a lowering of the legal limits.”
In January, a group of lung doctors had triggered a debate by questioning the health Benefits of the limit values for nitrogen dioxide. Later, the author of the opinion, the former DGP, President Dieter Köhler acknowledged the calculation error. The basic message is that the health risks from nitrogen oxides and fine dust and the based limits were not scientifically sufficiently substantiated, he was not called.
