More efforts are needed to protect the health of children and adolescents from the negative impacts of air pollution. This is indicated by the air quality assessments of the European Environment Agency (EEA). Air pollution causes more than 1,200 premature deaths per year in people under the age of 18 in Europe and significantly increases the risk of future disease.
Despite improvements in recent years, the level of harmful air pollutants in many European countries remains above World Health Organization sanitary guideline levels, especially in Central and Eastern Europe and Italy.
Although the emissions of the main air pollutants have decreased in the last decades, the levels of air pollution in Europe are still not certain.
Children and adolescents are particularly vulnerable to air pollution because their bodies, organs, and immune systems are still developing.
Air pollution damages health during childhood and increases the risk of disease in adulthood, according to the EEA report “Air pollution and children’s health”.
Air pollution is estimated to cause more than 1,200 premature deaths each year among those under 18 years of age in the 32 EEA member countries.
Although the number of premature deaths in this age group is low in relation to the total European population estimated by the Agency each year, deaths early in life represent a loss of future potential and carry a significant burden of chronic diseases, both in infancy and in infancy.
“Children’s lung function and development are affected by air pollution, especially ozone and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in the short term, and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in the long term,” says the European Environment Agency.
“Maternal exposure to air pollution during pregnancy is related to low birth weight and the risk of preterm birth. After birth, ambient air pollution increases the risk of various health problems, including asthma, reduced lung function, respiratory infections, and allergies. “It can also aggravate chronic diseases such as asthma, which affects 9% of children and adolescents in Europe, as well as increasing the risk of some chronic diseases later in adulthood.”
Until air pollution is reduced to generally safe levels, improving air quality in settings like schools and kindergartens and during activities like school trips and sports can help reduce children’s exposure.
“Air pollution levels across Europe remain unsafe and European air quality policies should aim to protect all citizens, but especially our children, who are the most vulnerable to the impacts of air pollution. in health†says Hans Bruyninckx, EEA Executive Director
“It is urgent that we continue to step up action at local, national and EU level to protect our children, who cannot protect themselves. The surest way to keep them safe is to make the air we all breathe cleaner.
Air pollution levels remain stubbornly high, according to data from the European Environment Agency report
In 2021, more than 90% of the EU urban population was exposed to harmful levels of nitrogen dioxide, ozone and fine particulate matter (PM2.5).
Ultrafine particles (PM2.5) are one of the most harmful pollutants for human health, and exposure to PM2.5 is one of the main causes of strokes, cancer and respiratory diseases.
In 2021, 97% of the urban population was exposed to PM2.5 concentrations above the 2021 WHO annual guideline of 5 µg (micrograms)/m3.
According to preliminary data from 2022, Central and Eastern Europe and Italy reported the highest concentrations of PM2.5 mainly due to the burning of solid fuels such as coal for domestic heating and their use in industry, among other factors.
The “State of Europe’s Air Quality 2023” report presents the state of air pollutant concentrations in 2021 and 2022 for regulated pollutants, relative to EU air quality standards and EU reference levels. WHO of 2021.
The state of air quality in Europe indicates that Portuguese and Swedish cities get the cleanest air.
Faro, in Portugal, and the Swedish cities of Umeå and Uppsala ranked as the cleanest European cities and had the lowest average levels of fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, over the past two years, according to the survey of air quality. EEA updated city air.
Cities are ranked from the cleanest city to the most polluted, based on long-term average levels of fine particulate matter.
