Air quality guideline

[2] In terms of health effects, the guideline states that PM2.5 concentration of 10 is the lowest level at which total, cardiopulmonary and lung cancer mortality have been shown to increase with more than 95% confidence in response to long-term exposure to PM2.5.

[2] Along with cardiopulmonary and lung cancer deaths, the chances of which an individual increases their risk of being diagnosed with these is highly coordinated to fine particulate matter and sulfur dioxide-related pollution.

A 2002 study found that "Each 10 μg/m3 elevation in fine particulate air pollution was associated with approximately a 4%, 6% and 8% increased risk of all-cause, cardiopulmonary, and lung cancer mortality, respectively.

"[4] A 2021 study found that outdoor air pollution is associated with substantially increased mortality "even at low pollution levels below the current European and North American standards and WHO guideline values".

[5][6] Shortly afterwards, on 22 September 2021, for the first time since 2005,[7] the WHO, after a systematic review of the accumulated evidence, adjusted their air quality guidelines whose adherence "could save millions of lives, protect against future diseases and help meet climate goals".

Up to 30 % of Europeans living in cities are exposed to air pollutant levels exceeding EU air quality standards. Around 98 % of Europeans living in cities are exposed to levels of air pollutants deemed damaging to health by the World Health Organization's more stringent guidelines even before they were adjusted to latest scientific data to be mostly more stringent. [ 3 ]