238,000 deaths by air pollution in EU 2020

Fine particle air pollution led to 238,000 premature deaths in the European Union (EU) in 2020, the bloc’s environmental watchdog said yesterday, a slight rise from the previous year.

Across the 27-nation bloc that year, “exposure to concentrations of fine particulate matter above the 2021 World Health Organisation guideline level resulted in 238,000 premature deaths,” the European Environment Agency said.

Fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, is a term for particulates that are typically the by-product of car exhausts. Their size enables them to travel deep into the respiratory tract, worsening the risk of disease.

The EU wants to slash premature deaths related to fine particulate matter pollution by 55 per cent in 2030 compared to 2005 levels.