40,000 premature deaths per year are caused by outdoor air pollution, recalls Public Health France. It’s more than alcohol consumption and road accidents. Among those responsible for respiratory and cardiovascualires problems, we find nitrogen dioxide which comes from road traffic but especially fine particles. They can come from road pollution, wood heating or agriculture.
>> Air pollution: an invisible killer
Two studies centered on Île-de-France and the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region give new figures. Fine particle pollution is linked to more than 6,000 deaths per year in Île-de-France. In Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, 4,300 deaths can also be attributed to these same particles each year, as can 200 lung cancers, 780 strokes per year and more than 500 visits to the emergency room.
A ten-year monitoring of pollution in Île-de-France shows that the situation has improved. Mortality related to fine particles fell by 40% between 2010 and 2020, which corresponds to a gain in life expectancy of almost 8 months on average per inhabitant in Île-de-France. The most effective measures are those which make it possible to develop less polluting transport: public transport, cycle paths, footpaths, aid for the acquisition of electric vehicles, etc.
There is still progress to be made as the current levels of pollution remain above the values recommended by the WHO. By falling below these thresholds, 8,000 additional deaths could be avoided each year on average in Île-de-France.
Regarding indoor air, habits must change. Overall, we do not ventilate enough, especially in schools: surveys have shown that a third of primary school classrooms in France are not sufficiently ventilated. Beyond the issue of air quality, the question of the risk of infection arises. Hence the request of many experts to develop light warning systems, based on the concentration of CO2, to remind you to open the windows regularly.