“Health experts urge EU to align air pollution standards with WHO recommendations to mitigate risks for vulnerable groups”

Experts are sounding the alarm that the climate crisis is intensifying the risks for individuals with respiratory illnesses, with rising temperatures and changing weather patterns worsening lung health issues. A new editorial in the European Respiratory Journal calls on the European Union to align its air pollution regulations with the World Health Organization (WHO) standards in a bid to protect vulnerable populations, particularly those with chronic respiratory conditions.

The experts warn that the climate emergency and human health are increasingly interconnected, and the damage is now “irreversible.” Changes in weather patterns have led to higher levels of pollen, more frequent wildfires, dust storms, and increased fossil fuel-based traffic, all of which contribute to worsening air quality. These factors not only exacerbate pre-existing lung conditions but also pose new risks to respiratory health.

According to the WHO, air pollution was responsible for the deaths of 6.7 million people globally in 2019, with 373,000 deaths occurring in Europe alone. Many sources of greenhouse gases overlap with those of air pollutants, making the climate crisis and air quality issues deeply intertwined.

Dr. Zorana Jovanovic Andersen, a professor of environmental epidemiology at the University of Copenhagen and one of the editorial’s authors, stated, “Climate change affects everyone’s health, but respiratory patients are among the most vulnerable. People with pre-existing breathing difficulties are far more sensitive to the effects of climate change. Their symptoms will worsen, and for some, this could be fatal.”

Children, whose lungs are still developing, are especially at risk. Experts warn that children inhale more air than adults and spend more time outdoors, increasing their exposure to harmful pollutants. Early-life exposure to air pollution has been linked to the development of chronic lung diseases later in life, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or bronchitis.

The editorial emphasizes that reducing greenhouse gas emissions would lead to immediate and substantial improvements in public health, as cleaner air would benefit respiratory patients and the wider population. In line with this, the authors are calling for action from policymakers to address the impacts of climate change on both the planet and human health.

The European Respiratory Society, representing over 30,000 lung specialists worldwide, urges the EU to revise its air quality standards to match those of the WHO. Currently, the EU’s limits for PM2.5 (fine particles) and nitrogen dioxide are much higher than the WHO’s recommendations. The EU’s standards are 25 micrograms per cubic meter for PM2.5 and 40 micrograms per cubic meter for nitrogen dioxide, while the WHO recommends 5 micrograms per cubic meter for PM2.5 and 10 micrograms per cubic meter for nitrogen dioxide.