Air pollution remains a severe public health threat across Europe, with certain regions facing significantly greater risks than others.
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5), linked to lung cancer, heart disease, respiratory conditions, and stroke, caused approximately 239,000 premature deaths across Europe in 2021. Additionally, nitrogen dioxide (NO2) exposure accounted for 48,000 deaths. Older adults, particularly those over 65, are especially vulnerable, with air pollution responsible for about 4% of deaths in this age group.
In 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) revised its air quality guidelines, setting stricter annual limits for pollutants like PM2.5, nitrogen dioxide, and black carbon. This year, the European Union introduced tighter regulations aiming to align its standards with WHO guidelines by 2030. These measures compel member states to enhance the monitoring of air pollutants.
Mark Nieuwenhuijsen, director of the Barcelona Institute for Global Health’s urban planning, environment, and health initiative, described the EU’s initiative as “one of the biggest public health interventions for a generation.”
Despite these efforts, the burden of air pollution is not evenly distributed. Central and Eastern Europe bear the highest death rates linked to PM2.5 exposure, according to a report from the European Commission and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
“The biggest divide in Europe we see is east and west [and this] aligns very much with GDP and socioeconomic backgrounds of the two regions,” said Zorana Jovanovic Andersen, an environmental epidemiology professor at the University of Copenhagen and member of the European Respiratory Society’s environment and health committee.
Regions like Northern Italy, Poland, and the Czech Republic face significant PM2.5 mortality, largely due to residential coal burning and agricultural activities. Meanwhile, NO2-related deaths, driven by vehicle emissions and industrial activities, are highest in western and southern Europe’s major cities.
This stark east-west divide underscores the need for targeted interventions that address the unique challenges in different regions, making air pollution a critical area for public health policy across the continent.
