Europeans still exposed to harmful air pollution

Air pollution shortens people’s lifespan and contributes to serious illnesses such as heart disease, respiratory problems and cancer. Between 2011 and 2013, up to 93 per cent of the EU urban population was exposed to levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exceeding the air quality guidelines established by the World Health Organization (WHO) to protect people’s health. And about 98 per cent of EU urban citizens were exposed to ozone levels above the WHO’s guideline value. See Table 1.

In its annual air quality report, the European Environment Agency (EEA) presents new estimates of the health impacts of air pollution based on 2012 data on concentrations and exposure. In the 40 countries considered, 432 000 premature deaths are attributed to PM2.5 exposure and 75 000 and 17 000 premature deaths to nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and ozone (O₃) exposure, respectively. Table 2 shows the best estimate figures for total mortality due to exposure to PM2.5, NO₂ and O₃ per country, for all the European countries included in the analysis.

On top of the health impacts, air pollutants also have significant harmful effects on plant life and ecosystems. These problems, including eutrophication caused by excess nitrogen input (from ammonia and nitrogen oxides), as well as damage to plants and trees caused by increased levels of ozone, are still widespread across Europe.

Some key findings for the different air pollutants are summarized below.

Particulate matter (PM) can cause or aggravate cardiovascular and lung diseases, heart attacks and arrhythmias. It can also cause cancer. The EU limit and target values for PM10, which should originally have been met by 2005, were exceeded widely in 2013, with the daily limit value being exceeded in 22 of the 28 member states. The target value for PM2.5 was exceeded in 7 member states.

In 2013, a total of 17 per cent of the EU urban population was exposed to PM10 levels above the daily limit value and approximately 61 per cent to concentrations exceeding the stricter WHO guideline value. Regarding PM2.5, 9 per cent of the urban population was exposed to levels above the EU target value (which changes to a limit value from 2015 onwards) and approximately 87 per cent to concentrations exceeding the stricter WHO guideline.

PM in ambient air originates both from primary particles emitted directly into the air and from secondary particles produced as a result of chemical reactions of PM precursor pollutants, namely sulphur dioxide (SO₂), nitrogen oxides (NOx), ammonia (NH₃) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). New research shows that PM concentrations can be considerably reduced by additional cuts in agricultural NH₃ emissions.

The benefits of improving Europe’s air quality are clear – meeting the WHO air quality standard throughout the EU would lead to average PM2.5 concentrations dropping by about one-third, resulting in 144 000 fewer premature deaths compared with the current situation.

Table 1: Percentage of the urban population in the EU-28 exposed to air pollutant concentrations above EU and WHO reference levels (2011–2013).

Ozone (O₃) can cause respiratory health problems and lead to premature mortality. It can also damage vegetation, including forest trees and agricultural crops. Ozone is a secondary pollutant, formed from precursor pollutants, primarily NOx, VOCs, methane and carbon monoxide. Exposure in cities is very high – 98 per cent of EU urban inhabitants were exposed to concentrations above the WHO reference level in 2013, while 15 per cent were exposed to concentrations above the laxer EU target value. The long-term objective for the protection of vegetation from O₃was exceeded in 86 per cent of the total EU agricultural area, and the critical level for the protection of forests was exceeded on two-thirds of the EU forest area.

Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) affects the respiratory system directly, but also contributes to the formation of PM and O₃. In 2013, 9 per cent of the urban population in the EU were exposed to NO₂ concentrations above the EU standards, which are set at the same level as the WHO guidelines. The annual limit value was exceeded at one or more stations in 19 member states, with 93 per cent of all exceedances occurring close to roads.

Nitrogen oxides are also a major cause of eutrophication (over-fertilisation that may negatively affect biodiversity and cause excessive plant and algal growth in marine ecosystems) and acidification. Eutrophication is still a widespread problem – 63 per cent of EU’s ecosystem areas and 73 per cent of the area covered by Natura 2000 protected sites were exposed to nitrogen deposition in 2010 that exceeded eutrophication limits.

Benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) is a carcinogen. Usually formed as a result of domestic solid fuel burning, exposure to BaP pollution is widespread, in particular in central and eastern Europe. A quarter of the EU urban population were exposed to BaP concentrations above the target value in 2013, and as much as 91 per cent were exposed to BaP concentrations above the estimated reference level based on WHO risk figures.

Sulphur dioxide (SO2) causes acidification and contributes to PM formation. Emissions have been reduced significantly over past decades, and there were only a few exceedances of the EU limit value in 2013. However, more than one third of the EU urban population was exposed to SO₂ levels exceeding the WHO guideline.

Carbon monoxide, benzene and heavy metal (arsenic, cadmium, nickel and lead) concentrations in outdoor air were generally low in the EU in 2013, with few exceedances of the respective limit and target values set by EU legislation. However, atmospheric deposition of toxic metals into the environment contributes to the exposure of ecosystems and organisms to these and, therefore, to the risk of bioaccumulation. Depositions of mercury are estimated to exceed the critical loads in more than half of the area of sensitive ecosystems in the EU.

Commenting on the report, EEA Executive Director Hans Bruyninckx, said: “Despite continuous improvements in recent decades, air pollution is still affecting the general health of Europeans, reducing their quality of life and life expectancy. It also has considerable economic impacts, increasing medical costs and reducing productivity through working days lost across the economy.”

Christer Ågren

Air quality in Europe – 2015 report. EEA Report No 5/2015. Available at: http://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/air-quality-in-europe-2015

Table 2: Estimates of premature deaths attributable to exposure to PM_2.5, O₃ and NO₂ in 40 European countries.