In the difficult conditions in which we find ourselves due to Covid-19, it is easy to overshadow the problem of air pollution. Yet smog also has negative health consequences. And the restart can be an opportunity to move in a greener direction. But for the moment, what is the air situation in Italian centers? According to the last report of Legambiente, it is smog alarm. Here are the cities rejected according to the environmental association.
The report card of Italian cities
Collecting the data of the last five years (i.e. from 2014 to 2018), Legambiente gave a vote to 97 Italian cities. The air quality was evaluated by comparing the average annual concentration of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and fine dust (Pm10, Pm2.5) with the limits indicated by the World Health Organization. The results that have emerged are certainly not comforting: it is a smog alarm. Here are the failed cities.
Turin, Rome, Palermo, Milan and Como are the worst cities in Italy when it comes to smog. They did not fall within the limits recommended by the WHO even for one of the years examined. But unfortunately they are not an exception: 85% of Italian cities report a vote below the pass mark.
Sassari stands out among the 15 urban centers that have obtained a sufficient evaluation. It is in fact the only city to have earned a grade of 9. It is followed by:
- Macerata (grade 8);
- Enna, Campobasso, Catanzaro, Grosseto, Nuoro, Verbania and Viterbo (grade 7);
- L’Aquila, Aosta, Belluno, Bolzano, Gorizia and Trapani (grade 6).
The health risks
The health risks caused by smog are certainly not to be underestimated. It is estimated that in Italy alone 60,000 people die prematurely every year due to air pollution. These figures make Italy first in Europe and eleventh in the world for early deaths from exposure to PM2.5. If we look at the whole world, air pollution kills around 8 million people every year. Especially children and babies are particularly exposed. Their immune and respiratory systems are in fact not fully developed. Fine particles can therefore have a long-term impact on their health.
The latest Legambiente report also contains a focus on illegal emissions from diesel cars. The environmental association has in fact conducted a study on the subject, together with a consortium of consultants and doctors. What emerged was that in Milan alone there were about 568 more deaths due to illegal emissions.
In short, air pollution represents an emergency for the health of Italians, like Covid. It is therefore desirable that the Recovery Fund be used to revive the country’s economy, but with a special focus on ecological reconversion.
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