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Air pollution - Why care? (Latvia)
Topics:
Air pollution
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SOER Common environmental theme from Latvia
- Topic
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Air pollution
Published: Nov 26, 2010
Modified: Nov 23, 2010
Improving air quality is one of the main priorities of Latvia’s environmental policy[1]. Air pollution has a significant impact on human health. In 2000, it was estimated that fine particle (PM2.5) air pollution reduced life expectancy by 4–6 months[2] and, as such, was the greatest risk to public health in Latvia.
In Latvia, the impact of air pollution on ecosystems mainly relates to an excess of the nutrient nitrogen in the form of ammonia and nitrogen oxides. These pollutants can disrupt plant communities and leach into fresh water, leading to eutrophication, a loss of biodiversity and the production of ground-level ozone resulting in physical damage and the reduced growth of agricultural crops, forests and plants.
- Air protection in Latvia, information from the Ministry of the Environment
- Air pollution in Europe 1990–2004, European Environmental Agency Report No 2/2007.
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