Health introduction

Introduction

Exposure to pollution can harm health (Figure 1), and there is clear evidence that reducing pollution leads to improved health and well-being. At present, over 10% of annual premature deaths in the 27 EU Member States (EU-27) are related to environmental pollution. A recent EEA assessment of the environmental determinants of cancer indicates that exposure to air pollution, carcinogenic chemicals, radon, UV radiation, second-hand smoke and more may be responsible for over one tenth of the total cancer burden in Europe (EEA, 2022a). Pollution’s impacts on health are likely to be underestimated: we only know about the impacts of a limited range of pollutants and only in relation to a specific set of known health effects.

Exposure to environmental pollution varies significantly between countries: the further east, the higher the numbers of pollution-related premature deaths tend to be, as illustrated in Figure 1 below. Vulnerable people, including children and the elderly, are more sensitive to pollution; moreover, those in lower socio-economic groups tend to be exposed to higher levels of pollution (EEA, 2018).

Pollution also reduces quality of life: people live with illnesses caused by exposure to pollution, such as asthma or heart disease, for many years.

By reducing pollution, the EU’s zero pollution action plan aims not only to protect society’s vulnerable groups over the long term, but also to improve quality of life for all.

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Sections of the health assessment:

Air pollution and health

Noise pollution and health

Water pollution and health

Chemicals and health

Soil pollution and health

Health signals

The EU’s zero pollution action plan

The EU’s zero pollution action plan aims to address key pollution issues that negatively affect the environment and human health. It presents a vision for 2050 where pollution is reduced to the extent that it is no longer harmful. Prevention is one of the core principles underpinning the zero pollution action plan. By preventing pollution at its source, we can eliminate the risks to human health and the environment. Further information on the role of the EEA in zero pollution monitoring is available on the zero pollution monitoring home page.

Pollution and health: summary of findings

Figure 2 presents an overarching assessment of the progress made in reducing pollution and meeting targets for air pollution, noise pollution, water pollution, chemical pollution, and soil pollution impacts on health. Further information on each of these is presented in the relevant sections. A collection of zero pollution ‘Signals’ is also available; these provide supplementary information highlighting other important or emerging issues related to pollution and health.

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