A study shows that air pollution is responsible for nearly one out of ten deaths in the region. In issue, pollutant concentrations that largely exceed WHO thresholds.
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The figure should definitely convince the public authorities to change braquet in the fight against air pollution. Nearly 8,000 premature deaths could be avoided in Ile-de-France each year if the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO) in terms of air quality were respected. This estimate is the result of an unprecedented study published Thursday, February 10 by the Regional Health Observatory (ORS) Ile-de-France – an independent scientific structure – and airParif. Eight thousand is four times the number of deaths related to alcohol consumption and almost as much as smoking (10,000) across the most populated area of France.
Exposure to air pollution promotes the development of serious chronic diseases, in particular cardiovascular disease (infarction, stroke) and respiratory, and cancers, recalls the gold. This results in an increase in mortality and a decline in life expectancy.
The latest epidemiological data has shown adverse effects of air pollution at much lower concentrations than has been concentrated so far. They led WHO to drastically cure its standards in September. The annual exposure limit not to be exceeded for the fine particles (PM2.5) was divided by two: it has gone from 10 micrograms per cubic meter (μg / m 3 ) to 5 μg / m 3 . The one for nitrogen dioxide (no 2 ) has even been divided by four, from 40 to 10 μg / m 3 .
district heating and road traffic
By taking the 2019 reference year (the year 2020, marked by the confinement related to the health crisis, is not representative of the pollution levels), the study evaluated the dead attributable to exposure to main pollutants. For fine particles, issued by district heating in winter and road traffic, the number of deaths is estimated at 6,220 across the region. For nitrogen dioxide, mainly emitted by road traffic and mainly by diesel vehicles, it is 3,680. For the first time, the ORS has also evaluated deaths attributable to ozone (O 3 ), a secondary pollutant emitted mainly the summer under the effect of solar radiation: they are of the order of 1,700.
The death numbers related to exposure to PM2.5 and NO 2 can not be addressed directly, some of the deaths overlapping. On the other hand, those attributed to ozone may be considered additional to die-related deaths. For the year 2019, the ORS arrives at the balance sheet of 7,920 premature deaths. If the average levels of these pollutants were lowered at the level of the concentrations recommended by WHO, these deaths could be avoided, concludes the study. The benefits would be particularly important for the inhabitants of Paris and the metropolis, which would group two-thirds of the avoidable deaths by lowering the levels of PM2.5 returned to 5 μg / m 3 . For the NO 2 , these are nearly 80% of the benefits expected in Paris and in the metropolis if the levels were reduced to 10 μg / m 3 . For ozone, on the other hand, the benefits would be more important in rural areas.
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