Microparticulate pollution caused some 307,000 premature deaths in the European Union in 2019, a number that remains alarming but has fallen by more than 10% in a year, according to a report by the European Environment Agency (EEA) released Monday.
According to the study, more than half of the lives lost could have been saved if the 27 member states had implemented the new air quality targets recently set by the World Health Organization (WHO).
In 2018, the number of deaths due to microparticles with a relative molecular mass of 2.5 (microparticles that are aerosols and have a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometers) is estimated to have reached 346,000.
The net fall of 2019 is partly explained by the favorable meteorological conditions, but primarily by the pursuit of progressive improvement of air quality in Europe, according to the EEA.
In the early 1990s, microparticles penetrating deep into the lungs caused nearly one million premature deaths a year in the 27 EU Member States, according to the agency. The death toll dropped to about 450,000 in 2005.
Among the largest EU countries, particulate matter pollution was blamed in 2019 for 53,800 premature deaths in Germany, 49,900 in Italy, 29,800 in France and 23,300 in Spain, according to the EEA. With 39,300 deaths, Poland is the most affected country in Europe in proportion to its population.
The Copenhagen-based agency also records deaths attributed to other air pollutants that are considered dangerous to human health, but does not add them to the report to avoid duplicate counts.
In terms of ozone (O3) microparticles, the trend in 2019 was also declining, with 16,800 premature deaths, a number reduced by 13% in one year.
In terms of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), a gas released mainly by vehicles and thermal power plants, premature deaths fell by about a quarter between 2018 and 2019, to 40,400.
Air pollution remains the most significant environmental threat to the health of Europeans, according to the EEA.
The WHO estimates that air pollution causes seven million premature deaths worldwide, a death toll comparable to that of smoking or malnutrition.
This heavy toll led to even more binding limits on key sources of air pollution in late September, for the first time since 2005.
.
I have worked in the news industry for over 10 years. I have a vast amount of experience in covering health news. I am also an author at News Bulletin 247. I am highly experienced and knowledgeable in this field. I am a hard worker and always deliver quality work. I am a reliable source of information and always provide accurate information.
