The Paris ring road during a pollution alert (illustration).

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A. GELEBART / 20 MINUTES

With or without the coronavirus, you may have to get used to living with a mask.

Poor air quality in Europe has particularly harmful effects on health.

In the European Union, 13% of deaths are linked to pollution, according to a report released Tuesday from the European Environment Agency (EEA).

The signal could not be stronger to accelerate awareness of the relationship between environment and health.

Important differences according to the wealth of the countries

"The emergence of these zoonotic pathogens (as in the case of Covid-19) is linked to environmental degradation and interactions between humans and animals in the food system," says the study, which highlights that Europeans are permanently exposed to environmental risks: air pollution, noise pollution, and chemical products.

In the 27 EU countries and the UK, 630,000 deaths could be attributed directly or indirectly to a polluted environment in 2012 according to the latest figures available, says the report which notes important differences between the West and the is from Europe and according to socio-economic level.

Thus, at the head of the peloton, Romania records nearly one in five pollution-related deaths, while the best students, Sweden and Denmark, deplore one in ten.

Mainly linked to cancers, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, "these deaths could be avoided by eliminating the environmental risks that are bad for health", underlines the EEA.

“The poorest people are disproportionately exposed to pollution and extreme weather conditions, including heat waves and extreme cold.

This is linked to where they live, work and go to school, often in socially disadvantaged areas and neighborhoods on the outskirts of major roads, ”notes the report.

Good water quality

Positive point for the European environment: the quality of the water, "excellent" in over 85% of cases for bathing water.

Regarding drinking water, 74% of groundwater areas have a "good chemical status".

According to the agency, to improve health and the environment in Europe, green spaces must be favored which "refresh cities during heat waves, reduce floods, reduce noise pollution and support urban biodiversity".

In addition, parks and gardens have proven to be invaluable for mental health and well-being during the Covid-19 pandemic, the European agency points out.

Reducing road traffic, reducing meat consumption and removing fossil fuel subsidies are some of the other solutions it offers.

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