Among EU Member States, the average annual concentration of fine particles in the air (PM2.5) is highest in the urban areas of Bulgaria (19.6 μg / m3) and Poland (19.3 μg / m3), followed by Romania (16.4 μg / m3) and Croatia (16.0 μg / m3).
In contrast, the concentration is lowest in the urban areas of Estonia (4.8 μg / m3), Finland (5.1 μg / m3) and Sweden (5.8 μg / m3).
This is shown by the latest data of the European statistical agency Eurostat, quoted by BNT.
Pollutants such as fine dust particles suspended in the air reduce life expectancy and well-being, while can lead to or exacerbate many chronic and acute respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.
Fine particles (PM10; less than 10 micrometers in diameter) can be carried deep into the lungs, where they can cause inflammation and worsen the condition of people suffering from heart and lung disease. At the same time, even smaller fine particles (PM2.5; with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometers) can affect health even more seriously, as they can penetrate deeper into the lungs, experts say. from Eurostat.
Although this type of air pollution has been below the limit set by 2015 for several years (25 μg / m3 on average per year), some significant hotspots of air pollution remain. In addition, despite the gradual reduction in recent years, air pollution levels in 2019 still remain above the level recommended by the WHO (average annual value of 10 μg / m3).
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