Fine particulate matter (PM 2.5): 7 countries (of which 4 were EU Member States) registered concentrations above the EU annual limit value in 2019, while 28 countries registered concentrations above the 2005 WHO guideline.

Particulate matter (PM 10): 21 countries (of which 16 were EU Member States ) registered concentrations above the EU daily limit value in 2019, while 31 countries registered concentrations above the stricter World Health Organization (WHO) guideline from 2005.

And, especially in southern Europe, pollutants emitted from human activities react in heat and sunlight to produce high concentrations of ground-level ozone, linked to cardiovascular disease and irritation of the eyes, nose and throat. In bigger cities, high concentrations of nitrogen dioxide persist due to road traffic, with nitrogen dioxide linked to asthma and breathing problems.

Exposure to fine particulate matter causes cardiovascular disease, lung cancer and other diseases that lead to premature deaths. In central and eastern Europe, the burning of solid fuels for domestic heating and industry results in high concentrations of both fine and coarse particulate matter, as well as benzopyrene, a known carcinogen. The EEA data show that air pollution is still a major health risk for Europeans. The EEA briefing ‘ Europe’s air quality status 2021’ presents the latest official data for 2019, as well as provisional data for 2020, on concentrations of key air pollutants measured at over 4,500 monitoring stations across 40 European countries.

E publishing air force