The new WHO Global Air Quality Guidelines: we must tackle ...

The new WHO Global Air Quality Guidelines: we must tackle air pollution now! ... On September 22, The World Health Organization (WHO) updated its ... ThenewWHOGlobalAirQualityGuidelines:wemusttackleairpollutionnow! byMatteoBarisione|Oct1,2021|CleanAir|LatestDevelopments OnSeptember22,TheWorldHealthOrganization(WHO)updateditsglobalairqualityguidelines.Thisimportantdocumentrecommendsairqualitylimitsaswellasinterimtargetsforkeypollutants.Itprovidesclearevidenceof thedamageairpollutioninflictsonhumanhealth,evenatlowconcentrationsthanpreviouslyunderstood. Highlyanticipatedbythehealthcommunity,theearlierguidelinesdatebackto2005,andalthoughtheWHOGlobalAirQualityGuidelinesarenotlegallybinding,theysetthestandardsforpolicymaking.  TheWHOtighteneditsstandardsfor6pollutants:particulatematter(‎PM2.5andPM10),ozone,nitrogendioxide,sulfurdioxide,andcarbonmonoxide.Whenactionistakenontheseso-calledclassicalpollutants,italsohasanimpactonotherdamagingpollutants.  Source: WHO  CurrentEUstandardsarelessambitiousthanscientificadvicefromtheWHO.  Thenewguidelinesareagame-changerintherevisionoftheEUAmbientAirQualityDirective(AAQD).EUairqualitystandardshaveproventobeakeyinstrumentinreducingairpollution,yet,toprotectpeople’shealth,theymustbetightenedandbasedonthelatestscientificresearch.TheEUiscurrentlyrevisingitsairqualitystandardsthroughtheEuropeanGreenDeal andthe EUZeroPollutionActionPlan,which includethecommitmenttoalignthecurrentEUAirQualityStandards closer withWHOguidelines.  Yet, diseasesandprematuredeathscanbesignificantlyreducedonlybyfullyaligningEUstandardswiththe2021WHOGlobalAirQualityGuidelineslevelsassoonaspossible,by2030atthelatest.ThesenewEUstandardsmustbelegallybindingandforcenationalgovernmentstoactforbetterairquality.Itisalsoimportanttofurtherharmonisemonitoring,modelling,andairqualityplansintheEuropeanMemberStates.  A comprehensivenewstudypublishedinSeptember2021 bytheHealthEffectsInstitute (HEI)hasshownit’samatteroflifeordeath.Thisstudyexaminesassociationsbetweenexposurestorelativelylowlevelsofairpollutionandseveralhealthoutcomesamongparticipantsin22Europeancohorts.Exposuretofineparticulatematter,blackcarbon,andnitrogendioxide belowcurrentEuropeanUnionairqualitylimitvalues showedsignificantassociationsofairpollutionexposurewithnatural-cause,cardiovascular,respiratory,andlungcancermortality.   Anestimated500,000prematuredeathsareattributedtopoorairqualityintheWHOEuroperegioneveryyear. AstatementissuedbytheEuropeanRespiratorySocietytogetherandendorsedbyover100medical,publichealth,andscientificsocietiesincludingEPHA wasissuedonWednesday22September,expressingthesupportandurgingdecision-makerstousethenewguidelinesasablueprintforambitiousairqualityandemissionreductionpolicies.  The healthcommunity,andespeciallythe MedicsforCleanAir signatories,areimportantastheyhavethesolutiontotackleairpollutionandclimatecrisis.Indeed,alleffortstoimproveairqualitycanenhanceclimateemergencymitigation(andvice-versa).Reductionorphase-outoffossilfuelcombustionwillreducegreenhousegasemissionsaswellashealth-relevantairpollutants.ToachievetheseWHOguidelinelevels,wewillbebothprotectinghealthaswellasmitigatingtheglobalclimatecrisis.Decision-makersneedtolistentothescienceandtakestepstoreflectthesenewstandardsinlaw.  Formoreinformation,EPHAwillattendthethirdEUCleanAirForum that willtakeplaceon18and19November2021inMadrid,Spain(livestreamingavailable). Thepublicconsultationontherevisionoftheambientairqualitydirectiveisavailable here andwillbefulfilledbyEPHA.  LatestArticlesCOVID-19Response:theeffectivenessofcountry-specificmeasuresDecember16,2021EuropeanPublicHealthAllianceCOVID-19:howone-size-fits-allpoliciesnegativelyimpacttheRomapopulationDecember16,2021EuropeanPublicHealthAllianceAddressingfoodinsecurityduringthe COVID-19 nationallockdowns: thecaseofItaly December16,2021EuropeanPublicHealthAllianceHarmsandbenefitsofthedigitalisationprocessesoninclusiveeducationalcurriculaDecember16,2021EuropeanPublicHealthAllianceGreenmobilityandclimatejustice:howthesocialscoreofyourneighbourhoodaffectsairpollutionDecember16,2021EuropeanPublicHealthAllianceHealthInequalitiesandthesocialdeterminantsofhealth:asynopsisreportof2021December13,2021RaymondGemenWhatnextforEuropeanactiononchildhoodobesity?KeyreflectionsfromanexpertdebateDecember8,2021EuropeanPublicHealthAlliance Getinvolved!SignupheretoreceiveourupdatesonEuropeanhealthpolicyandinvitationstoourevents. Subscribenow YouhaveSuccessfullySubscribed!