Reducing air pollution to WHO guideline levels could have prevented 182,000 deaths attributable to fine particulate matter exposure, 63,000 to ozone exposure, and 34,000 to nitrogen dioxide exposure in the EU in 2023, the European Environment Agency said this week.
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Nearly 280,000 deaths across the European Union in 2023 were linked to exposure to air pollution concentrations exceeding levels deemed safe, a new report has found.
The European Environment Agency’s (EEA) latest data on air pollution, published Monday, suggests that aligning air pollution levels to levels deemed safe by the World Health Organization (WHO) could have prevented some 279,000 deaths attributable to fine particulate matter, ozone, and nitrogen dioxide exposure in the EU in 2023. Some 95% of Europeans are exposed to unsafe levels of air pollution, the EEA said.
In 2021, the WHO issued more stringent guidelines on air pollution, following new research showing that PM2.5, the most commonly used unit in air quality measurements, is more harmful than previously thought. Studies have linked it to premature mortality, heart or lung diseases, acute and chronic bronchitis, asthma attacks, and other respiratory symptoms.
| Pollutant | 2021 AQGs |
| Fine particulate matter, µg/m3 | Annual: 5 24-hour: 15 |
| Ozone, µg/m3 | 8-hour: 100 |
| Nitrogen dioxide, µg/m3 | Annual: 25 24-hour: 40 |
According to the report, PM2.5 was linked to 182,000 premature deaths across the EU in 2023, mostly in Italy, Poland and Germany. While elevated, the number of deaths was 57% lower compared to 2005. This indicates that the EU’s goal to reduce premature deaths linked to air pollution by 55%, introduced with the 2021 Zero Pollution Action Plan, was achieved.
Exposure to nitrogen dioxide concentrations above the WHO’s guideline, mainly from combustion sources, was responsible for about 34,000 deaths in the EU in the same year. The highest number of deaths was recorded in Turkey, Italy and Germany. This number has decreased compared to both 2005 and 2022, mainly due to reduced emissions from electricity, heat production as well as road transport.
Exposure to ozone concentrations above the WHO’s guideline claimed an additional 63,000 lives. Ozone sources include the combustion of vehicles and fossil fuels, industrial processes, and the use of chemical solvents.
Compared to 2022, the number of deaths caused by PM2.5, NO2, and O3 has decreased by 23.8%, 29.2%, and 10%, respectively, according to the report.
| PM2.5 | NO2 | O3 | |
| 2022 | 239,000 | 48,000 | 70,000 |
| 2023 | 182,000 | 34,000 | 63,000 |
Air pollution also impacts the quality of life as it is linked to respiratory conditions such as asthma, the report said. It also noted that new evidence suggests air pollution may also contribute to the development of dementia.
Featured image: Wikimedia Commons.
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