Why are air and noise pollution an issue?
Air Pollution – Negative Effects (1/4)
There is no doubt that air pollution has its causes and its effects on the environment as well as on human health. With regard to air and noise pollutants, the World Health Organization issued recommendations to significantly reduce the pollution caused by air pollutants and by noise, in order to protect human health. Objectively, there is thus in particular a health problem.
For example, air pollution is the largest single environmental risk and a leading cause of disease and death globally. It is a risk factor for ischemic heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma and cancer. Both short-term and long-term exposure to air pollution harms health. This harm occurs either via direct exposure to air pollutants, or indirectly via pollutants transported through the air, deposited, and then accumulated in the food chain. Scientifically, it is uncontested that air pollution cause a number of premature deaths within the EU - some 400 000 annually.
Source: EEA Air quality in Europe - 2014 report