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October 31, 2014

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Lawmaker warns of rise in rate of cancer

A SENIOR lawmaker has warned of a rising number of deaths from lung cancer caused by air pollution.

Of all cancers, lung cancer mortality has increased the fastest in recent years, said Yang Wei, director of the National Natural Science Foundation of China and a member of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee.

Yang said recent studies show lung cancer to be the top killer for males and the second largest for females.

“We always talked about smoking less to keep healthy, but one of the primary reason is the polluted air,” he told lawmakers in Beijing who were discussing a report on the enforcement of the Law on the Prevention and Control of Atmospheric Pollution which was submitted to the bimonthly session of the top legislature.

The Beijing International Marathon on October 19 was held in heavy smog, with PM2.5 readings hitting 331, well past healthy levels.

Yang said north China’s meteorological and atmospheric conditions helped pollutants accumulate.

There is too much ozone in the air, which easily forms particles if there is no wind.

“Sometimes, the air near the ground is cold while above it is hot, like a lid on a big pan. The lower air cannot diffuse,” he said.

Lu Hao, chairman of the NPC Environment and Resources Protection Committee, called for straw burning to be regulated.

“However, if the straw is not burned, farmers will have a problem as there is no place to store it,” Lu said, adding that the government should find a solution to the issue, such as using straw to generate electricity.




 

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