The EEA report confirms the overall trend of steady but slow progress by EU Member States (including UK) since 1990 in reducing the emissions of the main air pollutants present in Europe. In all, 26 pollutants are monitored in the report sent by the EU to the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). Between 2017 […]
Air pollution affects brain development
90% of brain development happens by the age of four, so scientists want to understand the effects of air pollution at the earliest stages of life. Barcelona as an example Between 1981 and 1989, 26 outbreaks of asthma were reported in the Spanish city with many cases centred around the harbour. Local scientists eventually […]
H2020. Micro- and nano-plastics in our environment: Understanding exposures and impacts on human health
Global plastic production has increased exponentially over the past decades. A significant proportion of the plastic produced is not disposed of properly and persists in the environment, especially the marine environment. Specific Challenge Risk assessments and reviews carried out in recent years have concluded that there is evidence that humans are exposed to micro- and […]
Union Civil Protection Mechanism: Prevention and Preparedness for Marine Pollution at Sea and on Shore
Marine pollution risk management is an integral part of the Union Civil Protection Mechanism. It covers at-sea and on-shore implications of deliberate and accidental spills of oil and other harmful substances. Scope Although shipping has become safer over the past decades, the current trend shows a considerable increase in ship size, increase in the overall […]
The EIB will finance Grupo Ruiz to renew its most polluting buses
The EIB support will enable Grupo Ruiz to replace more polluting diesel buses with 32 electric and 141 compressed natural gas alternatives. The new vehicles will provide public transport services in Madrid, Majorca, Badajoz, Toledo, Salamanca and Murcia, covering both urban and intercity lines. This services will enter service over the next two years and […]
Marine pollution: Thousands of serious offences exposed in global operation
A global law enforcement operation involving 61 countries has identified thousands of illicit activities behind severe marine pollution as well as hundreds of violations and exposed serious cases of contamination worldwide. Codenamed 30 Days at Sea 2.0, the month-long (1-31 October) operation gathered more than 200 enforcement authorities worldwide for concerted action across all continents. Scope and […]
How to improve air quality by controlling traffic
Concentrations of the harmful NO2 pollutant across 30 major European cities could be reduced by up to 40% with the right traffic policy measures, according to JRC scientists. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), air pollution is the single largest environmental health risk in Europe. Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) alone was responsible for 68,000 premature […]
How do environmental hazards affect vulnerable groups in Europe?
Aleksandra Kazmierczak, a European Environment Agency (EEA) climate change adaptation expert, explains the main findings of a new EEA report that assesses the links between social and demographic inequalities and exposure to air pollution, noise and extreme temperatures. What are the key findings of the report? The EEA report ‘Unequal exposure and unequal impacts: social […]