| Summary: | 碩士 === 中國醫藥大學 === 環境醫學研究所碩士班 === 94 === Abstract
The main purpose of environmental impact assessment (EIA) is to prevent and mitigate the adverse impact of proposed actions to the biosphere environment and the human health. Most environmental impact programs require the consideration of human health impacts. The need for and benefits of addressing health in environmental impact assessment have been recognized by many health authorities, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and by health agencies in a number of countries. Yet relatively few environmental impact assessments adequately address these impacts. Little prior studies in Taiwan focused on human health impact assessments in environmental impact assessment, so it is important to understand its present situation, for proposing the follow-up regulatory actions.
In this study, the lack of attention given to health impacts in the environmental impact assessment process is discussed and illustrated through 67 EIA case reports performed in Taichung County in 1996-2004. The study found the second stage environmental impact assessment performed each year has gradually decreased. With reference of the 4-level health assessment scheme proposed by Steinemann (2000), 57% cases was identified to assess health impacts. In the cases addressing human impacts, 38 case times consider vibration, 6 case times consider air pollution, 3 case times consider noise, 2 case times consider toxic chemicals and 1 case time considers electromagnetic wave. Descriptions of the health impacts of the documents were almost exclusively based on comparisons with current regulatory standards. Only 3% documents focused on risks of cancer due to exposure to toxic chemicals. The results of the study also showed that only 3% of those who had written the documents had used help from experts on health speciality. Proposed actions of factory establishment or industrial park were found to consider more review criteria. Only the proposed actions of nuclear energy and radioactive nuclear waste storage and processing facilities incorporate the consideration of review criteria relating to health aspects.
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