Dirty air resulted in the premature deaths of more than 500,000 people in the European Union in 2014, the European Environment Agency reports. Pollution needs to be reduced, agency heads and environmentalists agree.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/H. Melchert
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In 41 European countries, 534,471 premature deaths in 2014 can be linked to air pollution, the European Environment Agency (EEA) reported. Within the 28 countries of the European Union, that figure is 502,351.
Germany saw the highest number of deaths attributable to all air pollution sources, at 80,767. It was followed by the United Kingdom (64,351) and France (63,798). These are also the most populated countries in Europe.
"As a society, we should not accept the cost of air pollution," EEA Executive director Hans Bruyninckx said in a statement.
Transport, agriculture, power plants, industry and households are the biggest emitters in Europe, the agency said.
Investing in cleaner transport, energy and agriculture can help tackle this problem, Bruyninckx continued.
Despite these deaths, air quality in Europe has gradually improved, the EEA also pointed out.
Fine particulates most deadly
The EEA based its numbers on measurements of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and smog (O3).
According to the report, fine particulate matter alone accounted for around 428,000 of these premature deaths in all of Europe (399,000 in the EU).
Particulate matter is largely generated by vehicular traffic, but also comes from agriculture, energy production, industry and heating.
NO2 is a pollutant that can primarily be traced back to diesel fuel combustion. European cities such as Stuttgart have struggled with nitrogen dioxide emissions repeatedly exceeding permitted limits.
Ground-level smog or ozone (O3) is produced when sunlight reacts with nitrogen oxides and a volatile organic compound in the atmosphere. Nitrogen oxides (NOx) come from car exhaust, coal power plants, and factory emissions.
NOx, which also include nitrogen dioxide, are the pollutants at the center of the Dieselgate scandal, where numerous automakers were shown to have manipulated sensors to indicate fewer emissions in testing than cars actually produced on the road.
Vehicular traffic is a major source of air pollutionImage: Getty Images/S. Gallup
Further action required
"The European Commission is committed to tackling this and help member states make sure that the quality of their citizens' air is of the highest standard," Karmenu Vella, EU commissioner for the environment, said in a statement.
Jürgen Resch, head of Environmental Action Germany (Deutsche Umwelthilfe), pointed the finger at the auto industry and politicians - including German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
"The frightfully high proportion of premature deaths through poisonous diesel emissions is a result of the criminal practice of auto manufacturers," Resch said in a statement, referring to Dieselgate.
Beijing has topped the list of cities with the most polluted air. But this week the smog in Paris has gotten so thick that the French capital has called for a driving ban for the first time since 1997.
Image: Patrick Kovarik/AFP/Getty Images
No clear view
Thick, polluted air clouds the picturesque of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. For several days in a row now, the air pollution has exceeded the maximum permitted levels for particulate matter.
Image: Thomas Samson/AFP/Getty Images
Open for pedestrian traffic only
On March 17, 2014, Paris officials introduced a driving ban in the city. Vehicles with an even number license plate are banned from entering the city on Monday; and on Tuesday cars with an odd number are banned. It is the first ban in over 15 years. Only electric and hybrid cars or those with more than three people are excluded from the ban.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
Cloudy view of Europe's capital
Brussels, the capital of Belgium and the seat of the EU and NATO headquarters, is smaller than Paris, but competes equally in terms of air pollution. On Friday, March 14, 2014, even the Eiffel Tower could have disappeared in Brussels' smog. To improve air quality, an overall driving speed limit of 50 km/h was introduced in the city.
Image: picture alliance/AP Photo
Sarajevo: Worst air in Europe
In Sarajevo, Bosnia, the concentration of particulate matter is the highest in Europe. The EU allows for an annual average of 40 micrograms per cubic meter. In Sarajevo it is 117 micrograms. The city's weather conditions are largely to blame. Without regular winds, smog and traffic exhaust accumulate over the city. High gas prices have also led residents to heat more with low-grade coal.
Image: F. Kravac/Klix.ba
Typical view of Beijing
In China, pollution levels have been record high for several days this year already. In Beijing, notorious for its thick air, a smog alarm has been established. The levels for the particularly dangerous fine dust particles are about 14 times the limit recommended by the World Health Organization.
Image: picture alliance/Photoshot
Top of the list: Ahwaz, Iran
The city of Ahwaz ranks worst on the WHO's list when it comes to smog, making it officially the city with the dirtiest air in the world. The reason is the amount of heavy industry in the city, which uses oil, metals and natural gas in its production processes.
Image: ISNA
Ahead of the rest: Ulan Bator, Mongolia
Ulan Bator is not only one of the coldest capitals on earth, it's also the city with the second worst air pollution worldwide. During the winter months, domestic fireplaces with coal and wood contribute up to 70 percent of the smog in the city.
Image: picture-alliance/landov
Lahore: dust + traffic = smog
Air pollution is one of Pakistan's main environmental concerns at the moment. The situation is particularly dramatic in the country's second largest city, Lahore. The smog is caused primarily by the high volume of road traffic, rubbish incineration and dust from the surrounding deserts.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
Blame the coal in New Delhi
In the nearly 10 million-strong city of New Delhi, the number of cars has increased from 180,000 to 3.5 million in the last 30 years. Still, it's the city's coal powered plants that are causing the biggest problem. They contribute to around 80 percent of the total air pollution in the city.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Sandstorms, like here in Riyadh, can contribute to smog forming because they increase the amount of particles in the air. In a place like Saudi Arabia, the intense ultra-violet rays also transform transport and industry emissions into ozone.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
Deadly air in Dhaka, Bangladesh
According to a study by the Max-Planck Institute in Mainz, some 15,000 people die every year in Dhaka due to air pollution. Researchers found the world's highest concentration of sulfur dioxide there.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
Thick air in Moscow, Russia
Even if it looks the same the world over, smog is different, depending on the city. Smog in Moscow, for instance, is characterized by high amounts of hydrocarbons. The westerly winds which regularly blow across Moscow mean that the western part of the city generally has better air quality.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
Bad location = bad air in Mexico City
The smog in Mexico City is made worse by the geographical location. The city is surrounded on three sides by mountains. Due to the high levels of sulfur dioxide and hydrocarbons in the air, Mexico City was long considered one of the most polluted cities in the world. The situation is now improving due to new transport policies and certain factories being shutdown.
