The detrimental health effects of ambient air pollution have caught the Taiwanese public’s attention in recent years. Many studies have identified significant positive associations between respiratory
diseases and nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, ozone, and particulate matter. Effects from traffic-related air pollutants have especially been verified. In this review, we suggest some topics worthy of future
study in Taiwan. They include the synergistic effects of co-exposure to multiple risk factors, risk differences between urban and rural areas, and the effects of newly identified air toxins on persons with
chronic respiratory diseases.