This Monday, the European Environment Agency (EEA) published a report which highlights that fine particle pollution caused 307,000 premature deaths in the European Union in 2019.
- This figure is down on the previous year with a drop of around 10%.
- More than half of these lives could be saved if the 27 member countries meet new air quality targets recently set by the World Health Organization (WHO).
- With 39,300 dead, Poland is the most affected country relative to its population.
This Saturday, November 13 marked the end of the COP26 which was held in Glasgow. An end that leaves a taste of unfinished business after the announcement of measures that seem insufficient in the face of the climate emergency. Proof of this is that Alok Sharma, the president of this edition of the climate conference, struggled to hold back his tears when presenting the agreement. He said to himself “Sincerely sorry” in the face of last-minute changes which tarnished the text, with in particular a reversal concerning coal where it was decided not to “to go out” but of “reduce” its use.
An emotional Alok Sharma says he is “deeply sorry” for the way the #COP26 conference has unfolded.
Holding back tears, the COP president says “I understand the deep disappointment but it is also vital that we protect this package.”
Read more: https://t.co/qbtRXxkCLQ pic.twitter.com/5RmKuTFlu0
—Sky News (@SkyNews) November 13, 2021
If standards were met, half of lives could be saved
This Monday, the European Environment Agency (EEA) presented the latest figures on the deadly effects of air pollution in the European Union. In 2019, fine particles caused 307,000 premature deaths. Although this figure is down from the previous year – a drop of around 10% – it remains at very high levels. In 2019, the death toll from fine PM 2.5 particulate matter — airborne particles smaller than 2.5 micrometers in diameter — was estimated at 346,000. This difference, the report authors note, partly explained by favorable meteorological conditions but also by the continued gradual improvement in air quality in Europe.
Behind the receding deadly impact of air pollution, hides another reality. In the report, the researchers point out that more than half of these lives could be saved if the 27 member countries meet new air quality targets recently set by the World Health Organization (WHO). The exposure thresholds for the two most dangerous pollutants, fine particles and nitrogen dioxide, are divided by two and four respectively. The first pass from 10 micrograms (µg) per cubic meter to 5 µg/m3 and the second from 40 to 10 µg/m3. With the new constraints on fine particles, in Europe, only Iceland comes into the limelight with 4.7 µg/m³ on average annually. France is far from it, with 10.6 µg/m³.
Disparities between European countries
In the detail of the report, the authors noted disparities between the different countries of the European Union. Germany is at the top of the countries most affected by fine particle pollution with 53,800 premature deaths in 2019. Behind, we find Italy with 49,900 deaths followed by France with 29,800 people who died and Spain with 23,300 deaths. With 39,300 dead, Poland is the most affected country relative to its population.
The EEA also measured deaths related to the other two main air pollutants hazardous to health. However, the Agency indicated that it did not add up the balance sheets as it would lead to double counting. For ozone particles (O3), the trend in 2019 was also downward with 16,800 premature deaths, a decline of 13% over one year. For nitrogen dioxide (NO2), a gas produced mainly by vehicles and thermal power plants, premature deaths fell by a quarter between 2018 and 2019, dropping to 40,400.
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