By causing respiratory and cardiovascular problems, pollution is thought to be responsible for 48,000 deaths per year in France.
The particle pollution episode that has raged for 10 days seems to be over. In Paris, Airparif announces that the peak pollution alert has been lifted for the weekend, thanks to an improvement due to less dense traffic and favorable weather conditions. But if these periods of intense pollution can prove to be painful for the population, which directly feels the effects on the respiratory tract and the general state of form, it would be unwise to believe that the rest of the time, the French are out of danger. .
It is in fact exposure to daily and long-term pollution that has the greatest impact on health, with pollution peaks having a marginal effect, according to Public health France. In a study carried out on more than 36,000 municipalities, and using fine particles PM2.5 as a reference, the concentration of which is closely linked to an increase in mortality, the French health agency estimates that air pollution is responsible for 48 000 deaths per year.
Up to 15 months of loss of life expectancy
And the big cities are not the only ones concerned. Agglomerations with more than 100,000 inhabitants are the hardest hit, with an average loss of life expectancy of 15 months. In the lead, Ile-de-France and the Rhône basin. But in urban areas with populations between 2,000 and 100,000, it is also 10 months. Even rural areas suffer from a loss of 9 months of life expectancy. Pollution concerns all French people: 95% of the population is exposed to thresholds that exceed international recommendations.
Automobile traffic, wood heating, factories, thermal power stations… All of them contribute to the diffusion of these fine particles, which harm the health of the most fragile people. But a study carried out by Brigham Young University (United States) and published in Circulation Research has been shown to affect healthy individuals as well. By following adults of 23 years on average, they observed blood witnesses of distress in the vascular system. They then revealed the damage inflicted by pollution on blood vessels.
“Our results suggest that living in a polluted environment can promote the development of high blood pressure and stroke in a more generalized manner and at an earlier stage than previously thought”, underlines Aruni Bhatnagar, co- author of the study.
Ségolène Royal’s measurements
In reaction to the pollution peak in recent days, Ségolène Royal presented this morning, during an exceptional Council of Ministers, measures that will be taken to deal with pollution. “This is a problem taken seriously by the government,” she said. What is needed now is the revolution of clean transport, responsible cities, electric transport in the city, different modes of locomotion ”.
Electricity is put forward. A superbonus will be granted to commercial vehicles and taxis. This conversion bonus will amount to 10,000 euros, and another of 1,000 euros will be granted for the purchase of an electric scooter. Ségolène Royal also provides for free motorway tolls for electric vehicles.
The Minister of the Environment announced the extension of the color sticker, planned in Paris from 2017 and already restored in Grenoble. It will make it possible, depending on the polluting nature of the vehicles, to constitute restricted traffic zones.
The health benefits of intervention policies in the fight against pollution have been quantified. The conclusions of these studies all show their impact in terms of public health. Modification of the composition of fuels, implementation of urban tolls, cycling, reduction of industrial emissions.
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