EU air pollution levels are not enough to reduce health risks

Air pollution has been linked to a number of health problems over the years, including respiratory illnesses, lung cancer and heart disease. However, new research has suggested that the current air pollution limits in the EU may not be enough to avoid its impact on human health.

Air quality limits throughout the EU state that air pollution must be no higher than 25 micrograms per cubic metre. A new study has found that air pollution below this level can cause health issues that may well be fatal. 

International researchers, whose study was published in the journal 'Lancet', reviewed almost 20 years worth of data, which covered 367,251 residents living in large cities throughout 13 European countries. All the data was taken from 22 studies that had been part of the European Study of Cohorts for Air Pollution (ESCAPE). 

The researchers estimated the residents' exposure to air pollution levels by using land-regression models. This allowed the researchers to link the average concentrations of nitrogen oxides and particulate matter to each home address. Traffic density was also monitored from each of the residents' nearest road and on all large roads within a 100 metre diameter from the property.

Each of the residents underwent follow-ups for an average of 13.9 years. During that time period, 29,076 participants in the study died from natural causes.

It was found that the greatest risk to health was caused by long-term exposure to fine-particulate air pollution that measured less than 2.5 micrometres (PM2.5), even if those levels were below the current EU limit. The researchers also found that every increase of five micrograms per cubic metre of PM2.5, the chances of dying from natural causes increased by seven per cent.  

The findings were significant even after the results were adjusted to take into account factors such as physical activity, smoking, body mass index, socioeconomic status and education level, according to the researchers. They suggest that lowering air quality limits to those of the World Health Organisation (WHO), which are currently set at ten micrograms per cubic metre, could have a number of health benefits.