Health impacts of air pollution

In Portugal, the premature mortality rate attributed to exposure to particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 μm or less (PM_2.5), also known as fine particulate matter, shows a substantial decrease from the 2005 reference year, albeit with a slight increase recently (2022), and is still within the EU air quality target for 2030. This improvement is due to the implementation of measures and plans concerning the greening of vehicle transport, the modal shift, an increase in renewable energy sources such as solar and wind and the phase-out of coal power plants and industries. The reduction in air pollutant emissions seen in recent decades has resulted in a significant overall improvement in the country’s air quality and, particularly with regard to PM_2.5, there has been a downward trend in the levels measured at air quality stations. Despite Portugal already complying with the 2030 PM_2.5 air quality target, additional measures will be put in place to continue the emission reduction trend to achieve the national PM_2.5 emission reduction commitment for 2030. This path will move Portugal sustainably closer to the World Health Organization goals. The air quality information system provides online data in almost real time from all the stations of the Air Quality Network as provisional (not yet validated) data; the air quality data became definitive data by the end of September of the following year.