Almost a third of people living in towns and cities across Europe are exposed to harmful air pollutants, a report by the European Environment Agency has revealed.
The study, which was published yesterday (September 24), says despite progress over the past few decades many Europeans suffer from exposure to airborne particulate matter (PM), which penetrates the respiratory system.
The EEA’s Air quality in Europe — 2012 report provides a snapshot of air quality in Europe and aims to support the development of more effective clean air policies.
The report says that in 2010, 21% of the urban population was exposed to PM10 concentration levels that are higher than the most stringent, daily EU limit value designed to safeguard health.
It also reveals that in the same year, 97% of EU urban inhabitants were exposed to ozone (O3) concentrations above the WHO recommended level, while 17% were exposed to concentrations above the EU target value.
Between 20 and 29% of urban dwellers in the EU were exposed to levels of the carcinogen benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) that exceeded the EU target value, while seven% were affected by nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels that were above the EU limit values.
However, sulphur dioxide (SO2) emissions have been reduced significantly and carbon monoxide, benzene and the heavy metals arsenic, cadmium, nickel and lead concentrations in outdoor air are generally low.
Environment Commissioner Janez Potoenik said: “This report is a timely reminder of how important air quality is to the health of our citizens. This is why I want 2013 to be the Year of Air and why I will focus on strengthening our air quality laws to tackle the problems identified today.”
Professor Jacqueline McGlade, EEA executive director, added: “European Union policy has reduced emissions of many pollutants over the last decade, but we can go further. In many countries, air pollutant concentrations are still above the legal and recommended limits that are set to protect the health of European citizens.”
The EEA has published annual information on air pollution under the National Emission Ceilings (NEC) Directive. Later this year, the EEA will publish a retrospective analysis of whether the health and environmental objectives of the NEC Directive for 2010 have been met.
Leave a Reply