Air pollution continues to cause at least 1,200 premature deaths annually among children and adolescents in Europe , according to a report by the European Environment Agency published on Monday, with an improvement in this regard nonetheless.

Like adults, this pollution constitutes the main environmental threat to the health of minors and reduces life expectancy, according to this study, which included about 30 countries on the continent, including the twenty-seven European Union countries.

"Air pollution causes more than 1,200 premature deaths annually among people under the age of 18 in Europe and significantly increases their risk of disease later in life," the European Environment Agency of the European Union wrote in its report.

"Despite the progress made in the past years, the level of many major pollutants in the air is still higher than the recommendations of the World Health Organization, especially in Central and Eastern Europe, as well as Italy," she added.

The Po plain in Italy and areas near coal-fired power plants, as well as major cities in central and eastern Europe, are regularly criticized for their poor air quality.

The study did not include several European countries, including the United Kingdom and Ukraine, which indicates that the situation may be worse on the European continent.

Another report by the agency, issued in November, stated that at least 238,000 people of all age groups died early in 2020 in Europe due to air pollution in agency member states such as the countries of the European Union, Turkey, Norway and Switzerland, as well as Iceland and Liechtenstein. .

In the study published Monday, the European Environment Agency is focusing for the first time on people under the age of 18.

The agency recommended focusing on air quality near schools and kindergartens, as well as sports facilities and public transportation.

The effects of pollution begin to appear even before childbirth, with pregnant women exposed to air pollution and manifested in "low birth weight and premature births," according to the Environmental Agency.

After birth, pollution increases the risk of health problems, including asthma, which affects 9 percent of children and adolescents in Europe, lung failure and respiratory infections.

These effects are exacerbated by the fact that children are more physically active than adults, while their small stature exposes them more to pollution sources such as car exhaust.

And 97% of urban residents of all age groups were exposed in 2021 to an atmosphere that did not meet the recommendations of the World Health Organization, according to what the data published Monday showed.

In its November report, the European Environment Agency noted that the EU is on track to meet its target of reducing premature deaths by more than 50% by 2030 compared to 2005 levels.

By the early 1990s, microparticles were causing more than a million premature deaths in the 27 countries of the European Union. In 2005, 431,000 people were still dying prematurely, according to agency data.

However, the situation in Europe remains generally better compared to other regions of the world. According to the World Health Organization, pollution is behind seven million premature deaths annually in the world, a toll close to that caused by smoking or an unhealthy diet.
According to the Health Organization, hundreds of thousands of deaths are recorded among people under the age of fifteen.

This high toll prompted the organization in September 2021 to set more restrictive levels for major air pollutants for the first time since 2005.

The most dangerous air pollution results, especially from fine particles that penetrate deep into the lungs, followed by nitrogen dioxide and ozone, according to health agencies.