Ambiente e Salute News n.18 - novembre-dicembre 2022

Abstract

Environment and health We are too slow in health protection actions from air pollution; this is the premise of Legambiente' s annual report Mal'aria di città 2023. This report highlights how air pollution is decreasing too slowly, putting the health of Italian citizens at risk with critical issues for some cities related to the days of exceeding the daily limit for PM10. Considering that attention should also be put to the level of other pollutants like such as those of PM2.5 and NO2. WHO has reported recent scientific evidence on the limits of concentrations not to be exceeded, and the European Air Quality Directive proposes downward limits (20 μg/mc) that should be complied with from January 2030 and that are to be considered an intermediate step from the WHO indications (15μg/mc). So there are 7 years to comply, but despite the mitigation actions put in place and tangible emission reductions, there has been no steady decline in air pollutant concentrations in virtually any city; in fact, the average rate of reduction in concentrations nationwide is only 2% for PM10 and 3% for NO2, too slow to reach the target set by the European directive for 2030. Polluted air is still being breathed for too long. As in previous issues, the main articles published in the monitored journals are summarized here, among which numerous are precisely those related to air pollution. All articles and editorials deemed worthy of attention are listed divided by topic, with a brief commentary. This issue is based on systematic monitoring of the publications of November and December 2022.