According to a Guardian poll published on Wednesday September 20, 98% of European citizens breathe air polluted with particulate matter “PM2.5”, which is responsible for almost 400,000 deaths a year.
An alarming study of the level of air pollution in the Old Continent. Almost all (98%) of Europeans breathe air polluted with particulate matter “PM2.5,” according to a Guardian poll published on Wednesday. This means that these Europeans live in places where exposure to this source of air pollution is higher than the WHO limit of five micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m3).
To arrive at this observation, the British newspaper relied on detailed satellite images and measurements from more than 1,400 ground monitoring stations. These results confirm the serious public health crisis in Europe, as this source of pollution is responsible for 400,000 deaths on the continent every year.
As a reminder, “PM2.5” are tiny airborne particles from fossil fuels. They can pass through the lungs and enter the bloodstream, affecting almost every organ in the body.
Almost two-thirds of Europeans live in areas where air pollution is more than twice the intergovernmental organization’s recommendations. 30 million Europeans live in areas where the concentration of particulate matter is at least four times higher than the limits set by the WHO.
Eastern Europe more affected than Western Europe
Eastern Europe is significantly more affected by this fine dust pollution than Western Europe, with the exception of Italy, where the north of the country breathes air that is four times more contaminated with “PM2.5” than the values set by the WHO.
The most affected country in Europe is North Macedonia. Almost two-thirds of people in this country live in areas where concentrations of “PM2.5” are more than four times higher than World Health Organization guidelines.
The data also shows that almost all residents of seven Eastern European countries, namely Serbia, Romania, Albania, North Macedonia, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary, have an air value twice as high as recommended by the WHO.
In Germany, three quarters of the population live at more than twice the value recommended by the WHO. In Spain this figure is 49% and in France it is 37%. Conversely, some areas of the north of Scotland are among the few in Europe to fall within the intergovernmental boundary.
Poor countries are most affected
The largest sources of “PM2.5” emissions include transport, industry, home heating and agriculture. The latter hits the poorest communities hardest.
“With few exceptions, the most affected countries are also those with the lowest average incomes, highlighting the extent of the environmental injustice we are experiencing in the EU. “Especially in Eastern Europe, there is an urgent need to clean the air in order to provide equal opportunities for a healthy life across Europe,” analyzes Barbara Hoffmann, Professor of Environmental Epidemiology at the University of Düsseldorf.
Last week, the European Parliament voted to adopt WHO guidelines on “PM2.5” by 2035. The law, to be finalized in negotiations with the Council, would set a legally binding limit for the annual concentration of “PM2.5” of Set 5 µg/m3, compared to 25 µg/m3 today.