Air quality has improved markedly in ten years, but progress remains to be made. According to a study carried out by the Regional Health Observatory (ORS) of Ile-de-France, in collaboration with Airparif, published this Thursday, thousands of deaths have been avoided in 10 years. Thus, the annual number of deaths attributable to prolonged exposure to fine particles PM2.5, one of the main air pollutants, fell from 10,350 to 6,220, and therefore fell by 40%, specifies the press release. study, which corresponds to an average gain in life expectancy of nearly 8 months on average per inhabitant in Île-de-France. Three air pollutants are particularly observed and monitored: fine particles, nitrogen dioxide and ozone.
But progress remains to be made. If France implemented measures to reach the limit thresholds set by the World Health Organization (WHO) in terms of air pollutants, around 7,900 premature deaths could be avoided each year on average in the island. -de-France, or “almost all of the deaths attributed to air pollution”, specifies to L’Express Sabine Host, in charge of studies at the Health and Environment pole of the Regional Health Observatory (ORS ).
L’Express: Thanks to what measures has air quality improved in Ile-de-France?
Sabine Host: This improvement in air quality has been achieved thanks to measures that have made it possible to implement reductions linked to road traffic, with in particular a modification of the motorization and the renewal of the vehicle fleet with increasingly strict standards. which require the emission of fewer particles. But also measures around everything related to building emissions, such as heating. These are the two main emitting sectors.
The study points out that the improvements are however insufficient, why?
In September 2021, WHO has issued new recommendations on air quality by estimating that the effects of pollution on health occur at lower levels than previously thought. The organization then revised its reference thresholds relating to air quality for two pollutants: the acceptable threshold for fine particles present in the air thus went from 10 µg/m3 to 5 µg/m3, it therefore been halved. For nitrogen dioxide, the threshold has been lowered from 40 µg/m3 to 10 µg/m3. With regard to ozone, the WHO has also issued annual average levels, and recommends 60 µg/m³ per seasonal peak, this is a novelty. Because prolonged exposure to ozone leads to an increased risk of death.
If we respected these thresholds, we could avoid a certain number of deaths: 7,900 premature deaths each year on average in Île-de-France. The latter comes from different sources of pollution and not only from sources that reduce the presence of fine particles. Its impact is more marked on the outskirts, unlike the other two pollutants observed. And it is the only pollutant on which we do not observe a decline, in particular because of elements linked to climate change, such as ever hotter summers. But according to the WHO, if the thresholds were respected, almost all of the deaths attributed to air pollution could be avoided.
How can we concretely fight against this air pollution?
With regard to ozone, it is therefore necessary to act globally on climate change, but not only on the scale of Ile-de-France, or even of France. Furthermore, for fine particles and nitrogen dioxide, efforts must be continued in the most emitting sectors, namely road traffic and buildings. This means reducing the number of old vehicles and reducing traffic by making efforts on active mobility, public transport.
As far as the building is concerned, they must be made more efficient in terms of heating. The biggest problem is wood heating with an inefficient system that is very heavy in terms of particle emissions. We can also mention agriculture as an area for improvement, working on an agricultural system that makes it possible to reduce emissions. We must therefore act in all sectors, because it is not just one measure that will solve the problem, knowing that the pollutant that has the greatest impact on health are fine particles. According to an annual assessment by Public Health France, 40,000 premature deaths per year are attributed to fine particles.