EEB

Industry & health

Air

• What is the EU doing?
• What is The EEB doing?
• Linking Air Quality and Climate Change
• Clean Air! Everywhere

Air pollution has a severe impact on our health and environment in a variety of devastating ways.

Most alarming are its direct effects on human health. Every year millions of people fall ill because of bad air quality, resulting in reduced quality of life and huge economic losses. Particulate and ozone pollution are responsible for 370 000 premature deaths a year and well over 100 000 serious hospital admissions from acute heart and respiratory disease cases in the EU.

Air pollution is also accountable for adverse impacts on the ecosystems as it is the main precursor for acidification and eutrophication.

However, despite a decrease of emissions levels of all important air pollutants since 1990, urban concentrations remain high and are above EU binding limit values in most European cities.

It is therefore essential that the European Union makes further efforts to cut air pollution and that existing directives are implemented.

Useful links:

- WHO air quality and health fact sheet and Air Quality Guidelines
- Information on pollution effects and other data from the European Environment Agency