In Europe, 389,000 deaths in 2021 were linked to air pollution

(Patria) - Nearly 400,000 deaths in Europe in 2021 were linked to three main air pollutants, and this could have been avoided if pollution had been reduced to the levels recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), according to an EU report.

The European Environment Agency (EEA) announced that in the EU, pollution caused by PM2.5 particles, which particularly affects people with heart disease, led to 253,000 deaths in 2021.

Nitrogen dioxide pollution, most harmful to people with diabetes, resulted in 52,000 deaths, and short-term exposure to ozone caused up to 22,000 deaths, reports VOA.

Including most European countries outside the EU, there were 389,000 pollution-related deaths in Europe, the EEA stated in its 2021 report, published on Friday.

"Concentrations of air pollutants in 2021 remained significantly above the levels recommended by the WHO in its air quality guidelines. Reducing air pollution to these levels would have prevented a significant number of deaths in EU member states," the EEA stated.

The highest number of deaths from PM2.5 particles in 2021 was in Poland, Italy, and Germany, while northern European countries such as Iceland, Scandinavia, and Estonia experienced the fewest consequences.

According to the report, nitrogen dioxide and short-term exposure to ozone had the greatest impact on mortality in Turkey, Italy, and Germany.