Urban PM2.5 Atlas: Air Quality in European cities

Executive Summary:

Many European cities suffer from poor air quality and still exceed the European standards prescribed by the Air Quality Directive and the guidelines recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). This is the case for fine particulate matter (PM10), with concentrations exceeding the EU limit value and WHO guidelines in large parts of Europe, in 2015 (EEA, 2017). Although just 6% of the monitoring stations, exceeded the EU PM2.5 limit (annual average of 25 μg/m3) in 2015 (EEA, 2017), about 75% of them exceeded the WHO guideline (annual average of 10 μg/m3).

PM2.5 is responsible of adverse health effects and premature deaths, with current estimate suggesting an average life loss of about 8 to 10 months in the most polluted European regions. This Atlas focuses on PM2.5.

• Primary Source

European Commission: Joint Research Centre: Urban PM2.5 Atlas: Air Quality in European cities [Alternative Link] https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/publication/eur-scientific-and-technical-research-reports/urban-pm25-atlas-air-quality-european-cities

European Commission: DG Communication: IP/17/4604, 16.11.17: Mapping the sources and level of air pollution in Europe: Commission publishes new Air Quality Index and Atlas http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-17-4604_en.htm

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