Kosovo among three countries leading in Europe for air pollution deaths

The data, for deaths of absolute value, was recently published by the European Environment Agency in the “Air Quality in Europe report: 2018<18x1> and processed by the Monitor in relation to the population of the respective countries. Information refers to 2015.

Kosovo had 3,700 deaths from contaminated air, which in view of its population of only 1.8 million, ranks the first in Europe, where contaminated air has caused 0.2% of the population to lose their lives. In Serbia, this indicator is 0.1% (about 13 thousand deaths) and in Macedonia 0.14% of the population (32,000 deaths), ranking second and third in Europe respectively.

Albania, unlike other Balkan states, turns out to have a relatively low death rate caused by polluted air, estimated at 1400 persons per year, or 0.05% of the population, ranking 29th in Europe, out of 37 total states.

In absolute value, the greatest deaths are in Germany and Italy, respectively, 62.3 thousand and 60 thousand people. It is not surprising that Germany has a high figure, given that it has the largest population of any EU country. But if air pollution-related deaths for 100,000 people are calculated, countries such as Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary have this far worse indicator.

Data suggests that, based on prudent concentrations in urban background and periphery stations, Croatia was also concerned with the concentration of exposure of estimated 21 pg / m3 pollutants. Other countries estimated by air pollution above 20 pg / m are Serbia (23 pg / m3, data for 2016 alone, Albania (25 pg / m3, 2015-2016), Kosova9 (27 pg / m3 / m3 / 2015-2016), Bosnia and Herzegovina (33 pg / m3, 2016), and Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (52 pg / m3, 2015-2016). According to these data, Macedonia results in the country with the highest pollution in the Balkans, followed by Kosovo, later by Albania.

Road transport is one of Europe's main sources of air pollution, especially harmful pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide and particles, according to Europe's European Environment Agency air quality. Emits from agriculture, energy production, industry and household consumption are also contributing to air pollution. The report presents the latest official air quality data reported by more than 2,500 monitoring stations across Europe in 2016.

Health effects of air pollution are important

Measured matter (PM), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and land level (O3) cause the greatest damage to human health. High concentrations of air pollution continue to have a negative impact on Europeans, especially those living in urban areas.

Air pollution also has considerable economic impacts, life cuts, increased medical costs and reduced productivity across the economy during working days lost due to ill health. Air pollution also negatively affects ecosystems, damaging land, forests, lakes and rivers and reducing agricultural productivity.

Past and current policies and technological advances have led to a slow but steady progress in reducing these negative influences, the report estimates. Up-to-date estimates in the report show that the concentrations of the PM2.5 were responsible for about 42,000 premature deaths in 41 European states in 2015, of which about 391,000 were in 28 EU member states.

A broader assessment, included in this year's report returning to 1990, shows that premature deaths due to the PM2.5 have been cut by about half a million premature deaths annually. This is due to the implementation of European air quality policies and the introduction of measures at national and local levels, which have, for example, led to cleaner cars, or industries and ecological energy production.

And we need to increase our efforts to address the causes. As far as air pollution is concerned, road transportation is often more harmful than those from other sources, since they occur at earth level and tend to occur in cities, near people. That is why it is so important that Europe doubles its efforts to reduce emissions caused by transport, energy and agriculture and invest in tïs it made them cleaner and more stable “, Z Executive Director said. EE, Hans Bruynickx. “Treatment of these sectors in an integrated way can bring clear benefits to air and climate quality and will help improve our health and well-being. ”