Compliance with 2021 WHO air quality guidelines across Europe will require radical measures
The research into the human health impacts from air pollution has advanced substantially over the last decade; in Europe ∼500 000 premature deaths are attributed annually to air pollution exposure [1], with adverse health effects beginning at much lower concentrations than previously understood [2]. The latest epidemiological evidence is now reflected in the new 2021 World Health Organization (WHO) Air Quality Guidelines (AQGs$^{\textrm{v2021}}$) [3], which represent a major revision over the previous ones set in 2005 (AQGs$^{\textrm{v2005}}$) [4]. Ten new AQGs have been set for the major health-damaging air pollutants, across different averaging times (annual$^{\textrm{(AN)}}$, peak season$^{\textrm{(PS)}}$, 24 h$^{\textrm{(24H)}}$, daily maximum 8 h average$^{\textrm{(8H)}})$, namely: particulate matter (PM$_{2.5}^{\textrm{AN, 24H}}$ and PM$_{10}^{\textrm{AN, 24H}})$, ozone (O$_3^{\textrm{PS, 8H}})$, nitrogen dioxide (NO$_2^{\textrm{AN, 24H}})$, sulphur dioxide (SO$_2^{\textrm{24H}})$ and carbon monoxide (CO$^{\textrm{24H}})$. The AQGs$^{\textrm{v2021}}$ are significantly more stringent, except for a relaxation in SO$_2^{\textrm{24H}}$, and O$_3^{\textrm{8H} }$ staying the same (supplementary table 1 (available online at stacks.iop.org/ERL/17/021002/mmedia)). This article quantifies the increase in non-compliance across all European measurement stations with AQGs$^{\textrm{v2021}}$ compared with AQGs$^{\textrm{v2005}}$, during business-as-usual (BAU) conditions (section 2); evaluates the impact that emission reductions during COVID-19 lockdowns had on non-compliance (section 3); and finally discusses the implications of our findings for any new European Union (EU) standards (section 4).
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | artículo biblioteca |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
IOP Publishing
2022-02-01
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| Subjects: | Air pollution, Air quality, Air quality legislation, Environmental health, Environmental sustainability, |
| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10261/262166 http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000781 https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/85124226313 |
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