COPENHAGEN: The European Union (EU) environment agency, in a report released on Friday, warned about air pollution, identifying it as the most significant environmental health risk factor in Europe.
The European Environment Agency (EEA) stated that air pollutant concentrations in 2021 remained well above the levels recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) in its air quality guidelines. The report said that reducing air pollution to these guideline levels could prevent a significant number of deaths in EU member states.
Environmental Health Risk in Europe
The findings revealed that over 320,000 deaths within the European Union in 2021 were linked to three main air pollutants: fine particulate matter, ozone, and nitrogen dioxide. Specifically, the report noted that 253,000 deaths could have been avoided in the EU if fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations had met WHO recommendations.
Furthermore, pollution from nitrogen dioxide (NO2) resulted in 52,000 deaths, and short-term ozone (O3) exposure led to 22,000 deaths.
Expanding the scope to include a larger set of European countries outside the EU, the report highlighted a total of 389,000 pollutant-related deaths across Europe. The report underscores the urgent need for concerted efforts to address and reduce air pollution for the well-being of the population.
