400,000 Europeans fall victim to air pollution every year

According to research by the European Environment Agency, several hundred thousand people die each year due to the consequences of air pollution. This research also examined other environmental factors that threaten the health of citizens.

The European Environment Agency (EEA) published its annual report on the environmental challenges of the European Union member states in Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark.

According to the report, a summary of which was published in some German-language media on the morning of September 8th, the consequences of air pollution are the most important cause of premature death of citizens in the European Union.

Research by this agency shows that more than 400,000 people die prematurely every year in 27 European Union member states due to the consequences of air pollution.

This report analyses data on the impact of environmental factors on the health and well-being of European citizens.

Air pollution causes one in eight premature deaths

According to the agency's studies, air pollution remains the leading cause of premature death in the European Union, with around one-eighth of deaths resulting from its consequences.

However, in the past year, the number of victims of air pollution has decreased by nearly sixty percent compared to 1990, when it reached one million people.

A report by the European Environment Agency identified noise pollution as the second leading cause of premature death, leading to the deaths of 12,000 people in one year.

According to Katharina Ganzleben, a fellow at the agency, the consequences of climate change, such as sharp increases in air temperatures and floods caused by heavy rainfall, are also contributing to premature deaths. In this regard, residents of urban areas are at greater risk.

The agency's report says that pollution of water sources and overuse of antibiotics, which cause pathogens to become resistant, are also environmental disturbances that contribute to premature deaths.

Eastern Europe most at risk

A notable point in this report is the stark difference in the impact of environmental factors on premature deaths in Eastern and Western European countries. In most Eastern European countries, premature deaths resulting from environmental problems are much higher than in Western countries.

In the past year, the highest number of premature deaths due to environmental pollution was recorded in Bosnia and Herzegovina, accounting for 27% of all deaths in the country. The lowest number of cases, at around 9%, was recorded in Iceland and Norway.

Hans Bruyninckx, Executive Director of the Environment Agency, says that while we are seeing improvements in the state of the environment in Europe, a review of data from the past year shows that more needs to be done to protect the most vulnerable in society.

The agency's new report is based on data from the World Health Organization from 2012. The organization has not yet published a new report on this subject.

According to the World Health Organization, 13 percent of annual deaths in the European Union are somehow related to environmental problems. This means that 630,000 people die prematurely each year due to the consequences of environmental pollution.

Diseases such as cancer, heart failure and respiratory diseases are increasingly linked to environmental pollution. The agency emphasizes in its report that many premature deaths can be prevented by reducing environmental pollution.

Source: DW