50 Cities with Terrible Air Pollution

By: By Michele Berger

Published: October 30,2013

 

 

 

 

 

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Ostrów Wielkopolski, Poland, experienced air pollution 91 days beyond the acceptable E.U. target of 35 days. (Poland/K?apouchy_Wikimedia)

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If you live in any one of a number of cities in Bulgaria or Poland, you may be breathing in some of the worst air pollution in Europe, according to new data from the European Environment Agency (EEA). But it’s not just those two countries. People across the continent are inhaling bad air.
“More than 90 percent of Europe’s urban citizens are exposed to levels of air pollution that are well above the World Health Organization’s advised guidelines,” Hans Bruyninckx, EEA’s executive director said, explaining the data. “And this has serious effects on citizens’ quality of life.”
The EEA looked at nearly 400 cities in the European Union and measured four different types of pollution: sulfur dioxide, ozone, nitrogen dioxide and PM10, a harmful type of particulate matter. Focusing on PM10 — the worst for humans of the quartet — the slideshow above ranks the top 50, from best (or maybe we should call it least bad) to worst.
Pernik, a town of about 80,000 people in west-central Bulgaria, fared the worst of any place. The EEA report considered the average number of days in a year each city exceeded a certain threshold. In the case of PM10, it’s 50 micrograms per cubic meter of air, and a city should only exceed that 35 days per year, according to the European Commission’s Air Quality Standards. Pernik had 180 days beyond that target level.
Three other Bulgarian towns and one village in Poland rounded out the top five. Five additional Polish towns completed the top 10.
“Even at concentrations below current air quality guidelines, particulate matter poses a health risk,” states the EEA’s “Air Quality in Europe – 2013 Report.” Inhalation and penetration into the lungs and bloodstream can lead to “respiratory, cardiovascular, immune, and neural systems” problems. In addition, it can lead to lung cancer. “Mortality associated with air pollution is about 15 to 20 percent higher in cities with high levels of pollution compared to relatively cleaner cities,” according to the report.
Many of the better-known European cities, while on the list, were much lower. Paris, for example, averaged 14.5 days beyond the target. Madrid saw 6.7 days, Glasgow saw 2 and Edinburgh saw none.
So why the discrepancy, with the majority of pollution in just a few countries? “The chemical composition of particulate matter is quite different across Europe,” EEA’s Peder Gabrielsen told Weather.com. “In terms of PM10, we generally see more PM10 limit value exceedances in eastern Europe compared to western Europe.”
Though the numbers are, believe it or not, better than in the past, there’s still work to be done. Bruyninckx put the onus on EU countries and people. “Member states should better implement the EU policies that already exist,” he said. “But I would also say that lifestyle choices of individual citizens and families are important. For example the transport and mobility choices you make.”
Click through the slideshow above to see how well many of Europe’s cities did. Below, a slideshow of the pollution levels plaguing some of the better-known European cities.

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Amsterdam, Netherlands, experienced high levels of air pollution 20.8 days beyond the E.U.'s 35-day acceptable limits. (Swimmerguy269/Wikimedia)