Brussels, 01/02/2013 (Agence Europe) - The long-term exposure of the population to the finest particles suspended in the air (PM2.5) can trigger atherosclerosis, adverse birth outcomes and childhood respiratory diseases, according to a new study by the World Health Organisation (WHO), published on 31 January. This study, which was carried out in the framework of the project REVIHAAP, and entitled “Review of Evidence on Health Aspects of Air Pollution”, also suggests that there could be a link with neurodevelopment, cognitive function and diabetes, and strengthens the causal link between PM2.5 particles and deaths caused by cardiovascular and respiratory disease. The research was carried out at the request of the European Commission and supports the institution in its case to tighten up the limit laid down for these particles by the EU directive on the quality of ambient air.
«EU air policy must be based on the latest science. The links it has found between air pollution and human health reinforce the case for scaling up our policy", said Janez Potoènik, European Commissioner for the Environment. Zsuzsanna Jakab, WHO Regional Director for Europe, added "only a few years ago in the absence of clear evidence, air pollution standards and regulations were not sufficiently targeting human health. Years of WHO-coordinated research approved the first quantitative estimates of the burden of disease from particulate matter and have now established links between air pollutants and health outcomes".
In the EU, more than 80% of citizens are exposed to particle levels above those recommended by the guidelines on air quality laid down by the WHO in 2005 and to be revised by 2015 for particles (currently, the limit is set at 10 µg/m3 a year). The upper limit currently laid down by EU legislation for PM2.5 particles is twice as high as that recommended in WHO guidelines. A full technical report in the framework of REVIHAAP will be published next spring. (AN/transl.fl)