Polluted air linked to diabetes
Wellington region’s worst town for air pollution promises to do better as new research links airborne particulates, even at levels deemed safe, to an increased risk of diabetes.
Air quality in Masterton frequently fails to meet the national environmental air quality standards during winter.
Masterton mayor Lyn Patterson is concerned by recent research reinforcing the link to diabetes – a chronic illness associated with the eastern part of the town worst affected by air pollution. ‘‘I don’t dispute the research at all. It’s obviously got evidence to support the link to diabetes and that would be a worry because New Zealand as a whole has an increasing incidence of diabetes.’’
The Masterton District Council and the regional council have taken steps to reduce air pollution in the town. ‘‘While some improvement has been made since 2005, we need to do better.
‘‘Council is committed to improving air quality as a priority under our environmental wellbeing strategy,’’ Patterson said.
The New Zealand standard allows one day per year for PM10 (particles smaller than 10 microns in diameter) levels to be greater than 50 µg/m3 (millionth of a gram per cubic metre). Last year Masterton’s air quality was over that standard for eight days, most of which occurred on the lower-socioeconomic east side of the town. Greater Wellington spokesman Stephen Heath said Masterton was certainly the ‘‘hotspot’’ for air pollution in the region. ‘‘The proposed natural resources plan directs the regional council to work with territorial authorities to use an education/behaviour change approach to reduce emissions from domestic fires.’’ The Ministry of Health commissioned a review of the World Health Organisation’s 2013 report on evidence of health aspects of air pollution and noted that there was emerging evidence that particulate matter in the air could lead to diabetes and other chronic diseases. While there had been growing evidence that linked diabetes this latest research by Washington University’s school of medicine was the first to quantify the impact.
The study estimated pollution contributed to 3.2 million new diabetes cases across the world in 2016, which is about 14 per cent of all new cases.
Senior researcher Ziyad AlAly said the results showed a significant link between air pollution and diabetes globally.
‘‘Many industry lobbying groups argue that current levels are too stringent and should be relaxed. Evidence shows that current levels are still not sufficiently safe and need to be tightened,’’ Al-Aly said.
‘‘Council is committed to improving air quality.’’ Masterton mayor Lyn Patterson