The National Taiwan University professor discussed the health consequences of air pollution in an interview with Asiaweek Contributor Laurie Underwood. There is no doubt that air pollution is a factor in asthma, particularly among children. We have seen a steady increase in this over the past 20 years. So you can say one child in 10 has asthma. As for lung cancer, diesel exhaust is one of the causes, in addition to smoking or passive smoking.
Lung cancer is now the leading cause of death from cancer for men and women in Taiwan.
The increase is not fully explained by smoking and passive smoking. They are not potent enough to cause such an increase. Air pollution has definitely played a role. For leukemia, specific air toxins are a factor. For example, benzene is a confirmed carcinogen.