Air pollution from fine particles has notable deleterious effects on health.
In Europe alone, chronic exposure to these microparticles caused the death of 253,000 people in 2021, according to a report from the European Environment Agency (EEA).
However, mortality linked to short-term exposure to these pollutants is much less documented.
Yet it is colossal, according to a study published in
The Lancet Planetary Health
: its authors note that, worldwide,
“
around 1 million premature deaths per year between 2000 and 2019 were attributable to short-term exposure to PM2.5
”
.
Emitted into the atmosphere during the combustion of fossil materials, wood or agricultural waste (by motor vehicles, fires, industry, etc.), fine particles known as PM2.5 - whose size is less than 2, 5 micrometers in diameter - are
“
the air pollutant with the greatest impact on health in terms of premature death and disease
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