British justice recognized Wednesday that the death of Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, February 15, 2013 of a serious asthma attack, was linked to air pollution, at the end of the trial followed by her family. This is the first time that the country has recognized this cause of death.
The little girl lived in Lewisham, less than 30 yards from the South Circular, a busy route in South London. Between 2010 and 2013, she was exposed to levels of nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter exceeding World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. His family not being informed of such a health impact, a move could not be considered.
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Hospitalizations due to pollution peaks
In 2014, a year after the little girl’s death, justice determined that she died of acute respiratory failure caused by severe asthma, not pollution. But those findings were overturned in 2019, and a new round of hearings ordered due to new scientific evidence, including the report by UK air pollution expert Stephen Holgate in 2018.
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The latter had noted a “striking link” between Ella’s emergency hospitalizations and the recorded peaks of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and suspended particles, the most harmful pollutants, near her home.
Labor Mayor Sadiq Khan called the court ruling “historic”. Accusing his predecessor, Boris Johnson, and the government of having acted “too slowly in the past”, he urged them to “learn the lessons” and do “much more” to improve air quality.
Between 28,000 and 36,000 deaths occurring in the UK each year are estimated to be linked to air pollution.
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WHO recommendations
According to the WHO, in 2016, an estimated 4.2 million premature deaths were caused worldwide by ambient (outdoor air) pollution in urban, peri-urban and rural areas. This mortality is mainly due to exposure to particles with a diameter of 2.5 microns or less.
If particles with a diameter not exceeding 10 μ (≤ PM10) can penetrate and lodge deep inside the lungs, those with a diameter less than or equal to 2.5 μ (≤ PM2.5) are even more harmful to health. They can cross the pulmonary barrier and enter the bloodstream. Chronic exposure to particles contributes to the risk of developing cardiovascular and respiratory diseases and lung cancer.
WHO recommends a maximum average exposure of 25 μg / m3 over 24 hours, not to be exceeded more than three days per year for PM2.5. For PM10, it is 50 μg / m3 on average over 24 hours and 20 μg / m3 on annual average.
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Where is France at?
In France, state responsibility was first recognized for pollution at the end of June 2019. The state was prosecuted for its inaction in the face of air pollution, targeted by a recourse for “faulty deficiency” filed by a mother and her daughter suffering from serious respiratory pathologies. At the time, they lived in Saint-Ouen (Seine-Saint-Denis), near the ring road.
Already condemned by European justice, France will once again be referred to the Court of Justice of the EU for air pollution linked to nitrogen dioxide (NO2). This time, it will be judged for pollution due to fine particles PM10, the European Commission announced on October 30.
Eight large agglomerations particularly affected
This summer, the Council of State condemned the French government to a historic penalty of 10 million euros per semester late if it did not tighten its system against air pollution in eight major cities (Lyon, Marseille -Aix, Reims, Grenoble, Strasbourg and Toulouse, Fort-de-France, Paris).
At the end of November, the administrative court of Grenoble ruled on the culpable failure of the State in the fight against air pollution in the Arve valley (Haute-Savoie). A decision favorable to the nine families, but which does not go far enough according to local associations.
In France, air pollution is responsible for around 48,000 premature deaths per year, according to Public Health France. And it is not the health crisis that will improve the statistics because poor air quality worsens cases of Covid-19.
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