Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is typically a by-product of automobile exhaust or coal-fired power plants.
Due to their small size, they can get deep into the respiratory tract and increase the risk of bronchitis, asthma and lung diseases.
“According to the latest EAA calculations, in 2021 at least 253 thousand of deaths in the EU were due to exposure to fine particulate matter (Particulate Matter (Particulate Matter2.5)) pollution above the concentration recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), the group said.
The EAA added that these deaths could have been avoided if fine particulate matter levels had been in line with WHO recommendations.
Compared to 2020, when 238 thousand people died prematurely due to fine solid particles. people, this number has increased.
According to the EAA, this increase can be explained by increased exposure to pollutants and a slight increase in mortality in Europe, mainly due to COVID-19.
In contrast, the long-term trend remains largely positive, with premature deaths due to fine particulate pollution falling between 2005 and 2021, the report notes.
Despite significant progress in recent years, “the impact of air pollution on our health remains too high, resulting in deaths and illnesses that are made more likely by air pollution,” EAA Executive Director Leena Yla-Mononen said in a statement.
As for other pollutants, the number of premature deaths related to exposure to nitrogen dioxide also slightly increased compared to 2020 and reached 52 thousand in 2021.
Meanwhile, it has been estimated that 22,000 people die from exposure to ozone, which comes mainly from road traffic and industrial activity. people, i.e. slightly less than in 2020.
The agency does not aggregate the data because it believes it would count some deaths twice, but stresses that air pollution remains the biggest environmental threat to Europeans’ health.
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2024-09-02 21:22:09
