Air pollution: Nearly everyone in Europe breathing bad air

Virtually everyone in Europe lives in polluted towns and cities

Almost everyone in Europe lives in towns and cities with high levels of air pollution, exceeding the World Health Organization’s recommended limit for fine particulate matter. This poses a significant risk to public health and is associated with respiratory and heart diseases.

Mark Nieuwenhuijsen, director of the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), emphasizes the importance of reducing air pollution levels to improve public health.

How bad is air pollution in Europe?

An analysis of satellite data from the Copernicus Atmospheric Monitoring Service (CAMS) reveals that in 2022, 98% of people in Europe lived in areas where the concentration of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) exceeded the WHO’s recommended limit. The annual average concentration of fine particulate pollution should not exceed five micrograms per cubic meter of air.

Air pollution levels vary across different regions in Europe, with particularly severe pollution in parts of Central Europe, the Po valley in Italy, and larger metropolitan areas such as Athens, Barcelona, and Paris. The most polluted regions in Europe have annual average PM 2.5 concentrations of about 25 micrograms per cubic meter.

What is fine particulate matter?

Fine particulate matter refers to very small solid and liquid particles of different materials and pollutants. These pollutants are invisible to the naked eye and have a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometers.

How does Europe compare to other parts of the world?

Although European air quality is generally better than in other regions of the world, pollution levels in Europe can still have a significant impact on public health. For example, average PM 2.5 values in northern Indian cities can reach as high as 100 micrograms per cubic meter, compared to up to 25 micrograms per cubic meter in Europe.

What’s the EU’s proposed limit and what do experts say?

The EU’s new air quality rules propose an annual average concentration of 10 micrograms of fine particulate matter per cubic meter of air. This is stricter than the current standards but falls short of the WHO’s recommendations of five micrograms per cubic meter.

Health researchers and environmentalists argue that the EU should adopt the WHO’s guidelines to prioritize public health. However, there may be economic arguments against stricter limits.

Air quality consistently bad in northern Italy

In northern Italy, particularly in the Po valley, air pollution levels are consistently high. The region’s geography, surrounded by mountains, traps pollution from heavy traffic, industry, agricultural emissions, and residential heating.

Studies have shown that pollution-related illnesses cause premature deaths in the region. Reducing average PM 2.5 concentrations by around 10 micrograms per cubic meter could prevent around 10% of deaths in cities like Milan.

However, measures to limit emissions in northern Italy, such as those targeting cars, residential heating, and meat factories, have been deemed insufficient to address the scale of the problem.

Poland gets rid of coal furnaces and improves air quality

In parts of Poland, pollution levels have been among the highest in Europe. However, since 2018, there has been a steady decrease in pollution levels. Cities like Krakow, Katowice, Gliwice, Tychy, Poznan, and Warsaw have seen improvements.

These improvements are attributed to the modernization of household heating systems, replacing old furnaces that produce significant smoke. The process has been ongoing for ten years, with nearly 800,000 furnaces replaced so far.

How do public attitudes affect air quality policy?

Public attitudes play a crucial role in shaping air quality policies. In Poland, there has been a shift in perception over the past decade, with increased awareness and concern about air pollution. This change in public opinion has influenced politicians to take action.

In Italy, bridging the gap between scientific knowledge and public understanding remains a challenge. However, there is evidence of changing attitudes, with a majority of Europeans recognizing respiratory diseases caused by air pollution as a serious problem and supporting stronger air quality rules.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

   • Target 3.9: By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water, and soil pollution and contamination.
   • Indicator 3.9.1: Mortality rate attributed to household and ambient air pollution.

2. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

   • Target 11.6: By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management.
   • Indicator 11.6.2: Annual mean levels of fine particulate matter (e.g., PM2.5 and PM10) in cities (population-weighted).

3. SDG 13: Climate Action

   • Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies, and planning.
   • Indicator 13.2.1: Number of countries that have communicated the strengthening of institutional, systemic, and individual capacity-building to implement adaptation, mitigation, and technology transfer.

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Source: dw.com

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