Almost 400,000 deaths in Europe in 2021 were related to three main air pollutants and some could have been avoided if pollutants had been reduced to World Health Organisation-recommended levels, an EU report said on Friday.

The European Environment Agency (EEA) said that within the European Union, pollution caused by fine particulate matter (PM2.5), which affects people with heart diseases in particular, led to 253,000 deaths in 2021. Pollution from nitrogen dioxide (NO2), most harmful to people with diabetes, resulted in 52,000 deaths and short-term ozone (O3) exposure led to 22,000 deaths.

Including a larger set of European countries outside the EU, there were 389,000 pollutant-related deaths in Europe, the EEA said in its report for 2021, released on Friday.

  • @BedSharkPal@lemmy.ca
    link
    fedilink
    English
    181 year ago

    I mean deaths just tells a part of the story. What about depression, heart disease, dementia etc.

  • AutoTL;DRB
    link
    English
    41 year ago

    This is the best summary I could come up with:


    BRUSSELS, Nov 24 (Reuters) - Almost 400,000 deaths in Europe in 2021 were related to three main air pollutants and some could have been avoided if pollutants had been reduced to World Health Organisation-recommended levels, an EU report said on Friday.

    The European Environment Agency (EEA) said that within the European Union, pollution caused by fine particulate matter (PM2.5), which affects people with heart diseases in particular, led to 253,000 deaths in 2021.

    Including a larger set of European countries outside the EU, there were 389,000 pollutant-related deaths in Europe, the EEA said in its report for 2021, released on Friday.

    “Reducing air pollution to these guideline levels would prevent a significant number of attributable deaths in EU member states.”

    The highest number of deaths from PM2.5 in 2021 occurred in Poland, Italy and Germany, while countries in northern Europe such as Iceland, Scandinavia and Estonia saw the lowest impact.

    NO2 and short-term O3 exposure had the biggest impact on deaths in Turkey, Italy and Germany, according to the report.


    The original article contains 222 words, the summary contains 170 words. Saved 23%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!

  • @leave_it_blank@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    41 year ago

    Air. Pfff. That’s so yesterday. I don’t need that. I want my big SUV, I want fossil fuels, and I want my coal power plant. And while we’re at it, dump some radioactive waste in my garden, the glow is nice.

    Air. What’s next, water?? Bunch of Pussys!