Frequent in Normandy, and especially in Rouen, episodes of air pollution are the subject of “recommendation” procedures by the prefectures. Instructions not always respected and which should not make us forget the daily pollution and its dangers for health.
On March 24, 2022, the Seine-Maritime prefecture launched an “information-recommendation” procedure due to an episode of air pollution by fine particles.
A forecast of deterioration in ambient air quality due “to the combination of meteorological conditions favorable to the accumulation of pollutants in the atmosphere with a concentration of fine particles in the atmosphere.”
A recurring phenomenon in Normandy, and particularly in Rouen which, as explained by Christophe Legrand, deputy director of Atmo-Normandy to our journalist François Pesquet, is the conjunction of two phenomena, one natural, the other of human origin:
“First, there are particles which are created directly in the atmosphere and which can be the consequence of air masses and good weather, and then, secondly, emissions of certain pollutants that come from agricultural activity and car traffic : it is ammonia and nitrogen oxides that recombine in the air to form particles.”
As with each episode of air pollution by particles in Rouen, the prefecture issues “health and behavioral recommendations”. The former aim to alert sensitive and vulnerable people to avoid certain activities and efforts.
The second, the “behavioral recommendations” are aimed at the entire population with the aim of limiting air pollution by avoiding certain practices such as fires, the use of motor vehicles (such as generators or mowers) and to avoid taking his car in favor of public transport. In Rouen, these are now free during these episodes of pollution).
The other recommendations concern motorists who are asked to reduce their speed by 20 km/h. Transport companies, industries and agricultural activities are also encouraged to follow activity reduction measures.
But, and our journalist noted it, the majority of the drivers drove at the usual speed, unaware of the prefectural measure… Yet air pollution kills. In Normandy, according to Public Health France, it is at the origin of 2600 premature deaths per year.
A figure that worries health professionals but also environmental defense associations. This is the case of “Rouen Breathe”. For Pierre-Emmanuel Brunet, its president, specific recommendations are insufficient:
“We can clearly see that with industrial pollution, and you have SEVESO sites, that we are still doing very little: we don’t really have a plan to reduce this kind of problem! There are activities to which we are not doing enough to reduce these emissions of pollutants.”
With each episode of air pollution, a “health recommendation” procedure is triggered. Is it sufficient ?
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If particle pollution alerts challenge us regularly and punctually, they should not make us forget that on a daily basis, air pollution is permanent.
And Atmo Normandie specifies that this daily air pollution has more health consequences than the episodes of occasional peaks which will disappear with the next rain…
