Taiwan's Environment Ministry proposes tighter indoor air rules for schools and elder care

The Ministry of Environment disclosed that it is preparing revisions to the Indoor Air Quality Management Act, first enacted in 2012. The draft would impose tighter air-quality standards on locations serving vulnerable groups such as kindergartens and elder-care centers, require standardized continuous monitoring devices, and modify thresholds for appointing dedicated indoor-air-quality personnel according to each facility's size and characteristics.

Officials plan to discuss the changes with local environmental protection bureaus next month, though no firm deadline for the amendment has been set. The initiative coincides with the launch of the eighth Taiwan Indoor Air Quality Week, organized by the Taiwan Indoor Environment Quality Management Association, featuring activities in Taipei, Taichung and Kaohsiung. Director-General Huang Wei-ming said improving conditions is more effective than merely tightening standards, and the ministry has completed a pilot program to help kindergartens improve indoor air quality. Chairwoman Chou Nan-chun stressed that clean indoor air is a basic human right, noting that Taiwanese spend over 80 % of their time indoors.