XIV Urban Environment Quality Report – 2018
Fonte Ispra (Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale) – Created by the National System for the Protection of the Environment, the Report on the quality of the urban environment has been consolidated over the years as a reference for professionals and users thanks to the analysis and evaluation of the SNPA experts on the many environmental data presented, accompanying the reader in understanding the phenomena. The 2018 edition of the Report updates a set of fundamental indicators for the analysis of the environmental quality of cities for 120 Italian cities, including the 14 metropolitan cities. Numerous topics of interest are dealt with on the urban and metropolitan scale: social and economic factors, soil and territory, green infrastructure, water, air pollution and climate change, industrial activities, transport and mobility, exposure to electromagnetic and acoustic pollution, actions and tools for local sustainability; fundamental aspects of the quality of life in urban areas.
The North of Italy at public health risk for smog
Thin dust PM10 beyond the daily legal limit in almost all of the North of Italy (Piedmont, Lombardy, Veneto, Emilia Romagna) in 20 Italian cities, according to preliminary data updated to December 10, 2018.
Note well PM10 (2017) – the first value refers to the number of days with daily average concentration above 50 µg/m³ (daily limit value: maximum 35 exceedances of the threshold of 50 µg/m³ as daily average) and the second value to the annual average value (limit value: 40 µg/m³ for the annual average).
Piemonte: Torino 118/46, Vercelli 82/38, Novara 82/38, Asti 98/40, Alessandria 102/42;
Lombardy: Milan, Como, Monza (Agglomerato Milano) 97/40, Bergamo 70/38, Brescia 86/39, Pavia 101/41, Lodi 90/41, Cremona 105/42, Mantova 87/40;
Veneto: Verona 73/34, Vicenza 100/40, Treviso 83/40, Venice 95/40, Padua 102/40, Rovigo 80/37;
Emilia Romagna: Piacenza 83/36, Parma 74/36, Reggio Emilia 83/40, Modena 83/36;
Outdoor and indoor air quality endangers public health
Radon gas, noise pollution, electrosmog, formaldehyde, a high concentration of Pm 2.5 and Pm 10 (fine dust) generate daily discomfort (neuralgia, drowsiness, irritability, insomnia, allergies or rhinitis, etc.) that can cause the onset of very dangerous chronic diseases and derive from environmental causes.
The house is the place of our well-being as at work we have the “right to health”, so it is important that they are 100% safe and healthy. On the contrary, this is often not the case: on average, the air present in homes is five times more polluted than outside.
In our homes, moreover, we “live” with different pollutants in an unconscious way: non-pure water, electromagnetism, the presence of radon, Wi-Fi waves, formaldehyde, carbon monoxide (CO), noise pollution, humidity, are all pollutants that cause very serious diseases, in some cases fatal. It is therefore essential to have preventive monitoring of the pollutants that will help us to verify the presence of these invisible enemies and to find solutions for our health.
Air pollution and climate change put security at risk
Another issue of great importance is the impacts on the environment and human health caused by climate extremes, as highlighted in the recent report Climate change, impacts and vulnerability in Europe 2016 by the European Environment Agency. In particular, heat waves, in addition to a significant economic impact, have caused tens of thousands of premature deaths in Europe since 2000. In the high-emission scenario, in the second half of the 21st century, heat episodes of equal or greater intensity than that of the heat waves of recent years are expected, with a biennial frequency. Urban areas are particularly vulnerable to extreme heat events, due to the effect of the urban heat island, which can cause temperatures in cities above 10° compared to the surrounding rural areas.
Any 100,000 premature deaths from air pollution
The World Health Organization estimates that every year 4.3 million deaths are attributable worldwide to exposure, mainly indoors, in low and middle income countries, to pollutants emitted in daily activities due to the use of fuels such as wood, coal and organic residues in appliances without any system of emission reduction. A further 3.7 million deaths are attributed to outdoor pollution. In this case, the phenomenon also affects Western European countries, the United States and Australia, despite the progress made in these areas of the planet in reducing emissions from industry and vehicle traffic.
The European Environment Agency has estimated that in Italy, in 2015, 60,200 premature deaths can be attributed to long-term exposure to PM2.5, 20,500 to NO2 and 3,200 to O3.
Source Ispra: XIV Urban Environment Quality Report – Edition 2018
Italy is one of the EU countries most at risk of public health and safety
The European Environment Agency confirms data from Ispra – According to a report from the European Environment Agency – EEA, which compares indicators on health, environment and demography. The study stresses that socio-economic inequalities increase the impact of air and noise pollution and extreme temperatures, with Southern and Eastern Europe among the most vulnerable.
The Report of 4 February 2019 “Uneven exposure and impacts: social vulnerability to air pollution, noise and extreme temperatures in Europe” draws attention to the close link between social and environmental problems across Europe. The distribution of these environmental threats and their impacts on human health closely reflect differences in income, unemployment and educational attainment across Europe.
Pollution and other environmental risks pose health risks for all, but have a greater impact on some people because of their age or health status. The ability of individuals to avoid or deal with these risks is also influenced by their income, work status or level of education. The EEA report assesses the links between social and demographic inequalities and exposure to air pollution, noise and extreme temperatures at various scales in Europe.
