Greece is among the European countries where PM2.5 aerial contamination is associated with an accrued hazard of premature mortality. In Athens, the occupation is exacerbated by aged αυτοκίνητο parks, wood heating and transport emissions.
We are talking astir particles with a diameter little than 2.5 micrometers. They are astir 30 times smaller than the thickness of a quality hair, so they bash not linger lone successful the chemoreceptor oregon throat, but are capable to penetrate heavy into the lungs and participate the bloodstream.
As noted European Environment Agency (ΕΟΠ), accrued concentrations PM2.5 successful Europe are still associated with solid substance heating, aged vehicle fleets, concern emissions and transport.
What is PM2.5 and why is it dangerous?
PM2.5 – these are small suspended particles that are formed during the combustion of fuel, the cognition of transport, industry, heating of houses with wood and coal, arsenic well arsenic during fires.
Their information is that they tin penetrate deeper into the respiratory system than larger particles. Long term vulnerability PM2.5 associated with cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, strokes and lung cancer.
According to ΕΟΠV EU successful 2023 approx. 182,000 premature deaths person been associated with vulnerability PM2.5 supra recommended level WHO V 5 µg/m³. Yes, our aerial present besides requires statistical support, due to the fact that conscionable breathing is too elemental an thought for the 21st century.
Greece astatine risk
According to information euronews with notation to ΕΟΠThe Balkans and Eastern Europe stay the regions with the highest estimated mortality rates per 100,000 inhabitants attributable to semipermanent vulnerability PM2.5. This radical includes, successful particular, Albania, Bulgaria, Greece And Romania.
At the different rod are the Nordic countries – Iceland, Finland, Sweden, Norway And Estoniawhere mortality rates associated with PM2.5 are lower.
Overall, experts estimation that the bulk of Europeans still unrecorded successful conditions that bash not conscionable strict recommendations WHO. And this is an important detail: ceremonial compliance with aged EU standards does not mean harmless air.
Italy holds anti-records, but the occupation is broader
According to ΕΟΠhighest yearly mean concentrations PM2.5 successful the past reporting play were recorded successful the southern Italy. In work euronews information is provided by metropolis Ceglie Messapica And Torchiarolowhere values significantly exceeded the existent yearly bounds EU V 25 µg/m³.
Experts property these peaks chiefly to winter biomass burning, including the use of fireplaces, arsenic well arsenic weather conditions successful which pollutants are little readily dispersed into the atmosphere.
However, Italy is not the lone state where excesses are recorded. In the study ΕΟΠ states that concentrations supra the existent yearly bounds were besides observed successful Turkey and astir countries of the Western Balkans.
Athens: transport, heating and aged cars
In the Greek context, they particularly stand retired Athens. According to the level IQAirair prime successful the Greek superior often goes beyond recommendations WHO By PM2.5.
The situation is influenced by respective factors: dense traffic, aged vehicle fleet, heating with wood successful winter, boiler houses, section concern sources and weather conditions under which contamination lingers implicit the city.
A abstracted occupation is the property of the cars. Greece has 1 of the oldest αυτοκίνητο parks successful EU: the mean property of rider cars is approaching 17.5 years. Many vehicles comply with aged biology standards, including Euro 3 oregon adjacent earlier standards.
This means accrued emissions of particles and nitrogen oxides. In ample cities, where traffic jams are not the exception, but the norm of metropolis life, such a vehicle fleet turns into a changeless source of pollution.
Nitrogen oxides: why transport remains a cardinal factor
Besides PM2.5nitrogen oxides stay a superior problem, chiefly associated with roadworthy transport and diesel engines. In the study Joint Research Center of the European Commission (J.R.C.) emphasizes that emissions from diesel vehicles straight impact concentrations NO2 successful an municipality environment, particularly adjacent intensive transport arteries.
For Athens, this occupation is peculiarly sensitive: municipality structure, dense buildings, traffic and aged cars make conditions successful which aerial contamination becomes not lone an biology but besides a wellness issue.
In different words, when an aged αυτοκίνητο smokes successful a traffic jam, it’s not conscionable an unpleasant odor and irritation to neighbors connected the road. This is simply a small publication to the large statistics of diseases. Very modern: everyone is stuck successful a traffic jam and astatine the aforesaid clip participating successful a chemic experimentation implicit the city.
What are they readying to change?
In Greece, measures to renew the vehicle fleet are being discussed, including replacing aged taxis, cars and airy trucks. Possible tools see recycling programs for aged cars, calculation of roadworthy tolls taking into relationship emissions CO₂ and strengthening technical controls.
But replacing cars unsocial will not solve the occupation instantly. Control of wood heating, modernization of nationalist transport, regularisation of the astir polluting cars successful metropolis centers and much close aerial monitoring systems are besides needed.
The winter play is particularly important, when heating with solid fuels and mediocre dispersion of contamination tin sharply worsen aerial prime successful cities.
PM10, ozone and benzo(a)pyrene
PM2.5 is not the lone threat. European biology services besides warn astir particles PM10ground-level ozone and benzo(a)pyrene.
Ground-level ozone is not formed directly, but arsenic a effect of chemic reactions betwixt solar radiation and emissions from transport, manufacture and different sources. Benzo(a)pyrene is associated with smoke, substance combustion, exhaust, and some household combustion.
For southern countries, including Greece, ground-level ozone is particularly applicable successful the warm season, when solar radiation is stronger and vigor enhances photochemical processes.
How to trim idiosyncratic risks
Experts counsel metropolis residents to show aerial prime indices, particularly during periods of smog, African dust, fires oregon winter heating pollution.
On days of precocious pollution, it is amended to debar vigorous carnal enactment outdoors, particularly adjacent engaged roads. It is advisable to ventilate apartments not during highest traffic hours, but when the attraction of pollutants is lower.
People with chronic diseases of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems should beryllium particularly attentive to such periods and, if necessary, travel the doctor’s recommendations. Yes, we person reached the constituent where earlier going for a walk you request to cheque not lone the weather, but besides the chemic creation of the air. Magnificent civilization, proceed to physique cities astir the exhaust pipe.
Editorial comment
Air contamination successful Greece has agelong ceased to beryllium an abstract biology topic. This is an contented of health, mortality, prime of beingness and municipality policy.
The occupation is particularly annoying due to the fact that it doesn’t look dramatic. No explosion, nary siren, nary momentary crisis. There is simply aerial that radical respire each day. And that is why the information is often underestimated.
Greece is near successful a vulnerable presumption owed to a operation of factors: an aged vehicle fleet, dense municipality traffic, the use of wood heating successful winter, lax emissions controls and climatic conditions that tin let contamination to linger implicit cities.
Athens is simply a premier illustration here. This is not the concern monster of bluish Europe, but a Mediterranean capital, where sun, oversea and tourist postcards coexist with transport emissions, aged diesel and air, which progressively has to beryllium assessed not with eyes, but with sensors.
Renewing your vehicle fleet is not a luxury oregon conscionable different European fad. For Greece, this is simply a nationalist wellness issue. Old cars, mediocre heating and mediocre biology subject extremity up paying not lone successful fines oregon reports to Brussels, but successful hospitals, medicines and premature deaths.
Air cannot beryllium seen successful the payment, but its terms still comes done people’s health. And if Greece wants to talk astir modern municipality life, it will person to start not with beauteous slogans astir a greenish future, but with very mundane things: aged cars, smoking pipes, emissions power and the close of residents to simply respire without risking their lives.
Greek (GR) · 
English (US) ·