Deaths due to NO2 pollution in Europe

Deaths due to NO2 pollution in Europe

UK ranks second in highest number of annual deaths due to NO2 pollution. European Environment Agency Report states that in UK 11,940 premature deaths occur in Europe due to over exposure of Nitrogen Di Oxide (NO2). This is mostly caused by vehicle emissions. This No2 is more hazardous and can have adverse health effects when inhaled. James Thornton, the CEO of law firm ClientEarth, which brought the court case, said: "Today's EEA report puts the UK in an unwanted position near the top of the table when it comes to premature deaths from exposure to NO2 pollution. The UK government should be ashamed of these figures and must act now to protect the health of people in this country."

According to EEA estimation 71000 people died prematurely due to NO2 pollution. While the pollutant has been on a downward trend since the turn of the century because of stricter diesel car standards, more than one in 10 monitoring stations in Europe still breach NO2 limits, the agency found. Hans Bruyninckx, the EEA's executive director, said: "Emission reductions have led to improvements in air quality in Europe, but not enough to avoid unacceptable damage to human health and the environment." Catherine Bearder, a Liberal Democrat MEP, said: "If I had become a doctor instead of a politician I would be prescribing a serious health warning to the UK government today. The UK government have approved a third runway at Heathrow airport even though they know that air pollution around the airport is already dangerously above legal levels of nitrogen dioxide."