ANSES recommends continuing efforts to improve ambient air quality | handles

2017-05-23 04:52:37

The term “ambient air quality standards” refers to the values ​​implemented in application of French regulations for several atmospheric pollutants and different time steps. These standards result from the transposition of several European directives adopted since 1996 or specific French standards.

The Directorate General for Health and the Directorate General for Energy and Climate called on the Agency to carry out an expert report relating to ambient air quality standards for fine particles (PM₁₀ and PM_2,5), you will NOT₂ (nitrogen dioxide), SO₂ (sulphur dioxide) and O₃ (ozone), so that these standards best meet the needs of protecting the health of the population.

Agency findings and recommendations

In recent years, various works have provided new evidence of the harmful effects of ambient air pollutants on human health, linked to short-term or long-term exposures. The available data concerning the health effects and the health impact of air pollution attest that the latter remains a major public health issue. Thus, ANSES firstly stresses the importance of continuing efforts to implement long-term public policies to improve air quality in order to protect the health of the population.

For the pollutants covered by the expertise (PM₁₀PM_2,5NO₂SO₂ and O₃), ANSES recommends:

• consider the adoption of population exposure limit values ​​that are more protective than the current values ​​for fine particles (PM₁₀ and PM_2,5), an ambition that will have to be brought to the level of the European Commission since these standards are the result of the transposition of European regulations. ANSES emphasizes that any reduction in the concentration levels in the air of PM₁₀ and PM_2,5 lead to a health benefit;
• to propose a standard aimed at preventing the short-term effects of PM_2,5. A daily average limit value of 50 µm^-3 is proposed for PM particles₁₀. Such a standard should be declined for PM_2,5 for which there is now a great deal of new knowledge on health effects;
• maintain information and alert thresholds taking into account the short-term health effects for NO pollutants₂SO₂, O₃and PM₁₀ and the interest they present for the identified sensitive population groups;
• consider simplifying French regulations on air quality standards:
  • the air quality objectives in force are in fact little known to the public and not very visible in institutional communication. Consideration might be given to referring to the WHO guide values ​​in terms of long-term objectives;
  • the alert thresholds relating to ozone of 300 and 360 µg.m^-3 might be deleted to keep only the threshold of 240 µg.m^-3.
• to carry out additional work to assess the effectiveness of public action in the fight once morest air pollution and identify the levers to better mobilize decision-makers and the general public;
• to study a new vector of daily communication, making it possible to describe for the general public the air quality data with regard to health issues.

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