EEA urges air quality improvements in nurseries and schools to reduce air pollution impact on EU under-18s

Environmental experts are urging authorities to improve air quality around schools and nurseries, sports facilities and mass transit hubs, following a Europe-wide investigation into the impact of air pollution on young people.

New research from the European Environment Agency indicates that air pollution causes more than 1,200 premature deaths each year among under 18s across Europe and increases the risk of chronic illness in later life.

While the study of more than 30 countries (including 27 EU members) demonstrates improvements since the early 1990s, it finds that "the level of key air pollutants in many European countries remain stubbornly above? World Health Organization ?guidelines", particularly in central-eastern Europe and Italy.

The report did not include Europe's three major industrial nations (Russia, Ukraine and UK) - suggesting that the impact of pollution on the continent could be significantly higher.

The study, the agency's first to focus specifically on children, states: "Although the number of premature deaths in this age group is low relative to the total for the European population estimated by EEA each year, deaths early in life represent a loss of future potential and come with a significant burden of chronic illness, both in childhood and later in life."

97% of urban populations exposed

Ninety-seven per cent of Europe's urban populations were exposed to air that did not meet WHO recommendations in 2021, according to researchers.

The report highlights the link between ambient air pollution and the increased risk of health problems, such as reduced lung function, respiratory infections and allergies.

Inadequate air quality levels also "aggravate chronic conditions like asthma, which afflicts nine percent of children and adolescents in Europe, as well as increasing the risk of some chronic diseases later in adulthood".

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