Environmental health impacts

Introduction

Despite progress in many areas, environmental hazards continue to affect public health in the EU. Air pollution, noise, heavy metal emissions, heatwaves, and cold spells continue to cause health issues and fatalities across Europe each year. Europe has put in place a wide range of policies and measures to reduce such health impacts.

Pollutants and Climate-related Events

Pollutants in the environment or climate-related events can have a massive impact on our health. Air and noise pollution, as well as heavy metals like mercury, are directly related to health issues such as asthma, hearing loss, dehydration, and heart diseases. Heatwaves and floods affect the whole population but cause the highest burden for vulnerable groups like infants, the elderly, those in poor health, or communities living on floodplains.

• Air pollution is the single most important cause of environmental health hazards affecting millions of Europeans. Air pollution can cause lung and heart diseases and premature deaths. More than 90% of Europeans living in cities are exposed to harmful levels of fine particulate matter, which causes more than 200,000 premature deaths per year in Europe.
• Noise pollution from highways, airports, and streets can lead to hearing loss, tinnitus, sleep loss, and cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Long-term exposure to environmental noise is estimated to cause 12,000 premature deaths and contribute to 48,000 new cases of ischemic heart disease per year in Europe.
• Pollutants can enter rivers and lakes, eventually accumulating in our oceans. Some chemicals used in industry and agriculture can enter the food chain and accumulate in our bodies. Ongoing biomonitoring research sheds light on these chemicals and their health impacts.
• Climate change affects all Europeans. It can cause heatwaves, elevated exposure to UV radiation, extreme and harmful weather events, prolonged and intensified pollen seasons, the proliferation of infectious diseases, and forest fires. Vulnerable groups like the elderly, children, and people with a low income or in poor health are most affected. One in ten European schools and hospitals may also be at risk of flooding.

Key Facts

A lot of research is being done in the EU to explore how the environment contributes to human well-being. The health impacts of specific environmental stressors like air pollution, noise, chemicals, and climate change are being thoroughly investigated. Recent findings include:

• Environmental risks are estimated to cause over 18% of cardiovascular disease-related deaths in Europe.
• Environmental and occupational risks are responsible for around 10% of all cancer cases in Europe — almost all of which are preventable.
• Heavy metals emissions are in decline. Between 2005-2019, EU lead emissions decreased by 44%, mercury emissions decreased by 45%, and cadmium decreased by 33%. Some of these pollutants continue to accumulate in the environment.
• Europe’s air is cleaner but health impacts continue. The EU has achieved significant improvements in air quality over the last four decades. Still, exposure to pollutants, particulate matter, and NOx from road transport continues to cause health concerns.
• Forever chemicals continue to pose health risks. National monitoring shows that per and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) are accumulating in drinking water supplies in the EU. Many chemicals enter the natural environment, water, and soil. Their health impacts have not been fully assessed yet.
• Climate change increases health risks. Over the past decades, Europe has experienced more frequent and severe weather and climate-related natural hazards like droughts, forest fires, heatwaves, and heavy rain. This extreme weather can cause several health issues. Simultaneously, the rise in mean temperature increases the incidence of infectious, allergic, water- and food-borne diseases given the climate sensitivity of pathogens.

EU Action

Our health and environment are intrinsically linked, and the best way to improve one is to improve the other. Recognizing this, part of the Eighth Environment Action Programme (8th EAP) and the Zero Pollution Action Plan aims to tackle pollution and thereby reduce the impacts on public health and the environment.

Other health and environment-related EU policies and directives include:

• The Ambient Air Quality Directives set air quality standards for 12 air pollutants. These directives also define common methods to monitor, assess, and inform the public on ambient air quality in the EU.
• The Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability aims to protect citizens and the environment from harmful chemicals and boost innovation by promoting safer and more sustainable chemicals.
• The Environmental Noise Directive monitors noise exposure in the EU.
• The Bathing Water Directive aims to safeguard public health and protect the aquatic environment in coastal and inland areas from pollution.
• The EU Adaptation Strategy outlines a long-term vision for the EU to become climate-resilient by 2050. All EU Member States have also adopted adaptation strategies and/or plans specific to their country’s needs and risks.
• The European Climate Law makes climate adaptation mandatory (Article 5).

The EEA provides knowledge and data needed to support all these policies and their implementation.

Chemicals in Humans and Their Health Risks

For many chemicals, the health impacts of long-term exposure are unknown. It is difficult to accurately assess the risks that chemicals pose to human health because of the complex mixture of chemicals we are exposed to in our daily lives through the environment, products, food, and drinking water. Human biomonitoring allows researchers to

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Identified in the Article:

1. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

   • Target 3.9: By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water, and soil pollution and contamination.
   • Indicator: Number of deaths and illnesses attributed to hazardous chemicals and air, water, and soil pollution and contamination.

2. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

   • Target 11.6: By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management.
   • Indicator: Proportion of urban population living in areas where air quality meets WHO guidelines.

3. SDG 13: Climate Action

   • Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries.
   • Indicator: Number of deaths, missing persons, and directly affected persons attributed to disasters per 100,000 population.

Explanation:

1. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being is addressed in the article through the discussion of environmental hazards affecting public health, such as air pollution, noise pollution, heavy metal emissions, heatwaves, and cold spells. These hazards can lead to health issues and fatalities.

2. Target 3.9 under SDG 3 can be identified based on the article’s content, which aims to reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and pollution. The article mentions the health impacts of air pollution, noise pollution, and exposure to pollutants in rivers, lakes, and oceans.

3. The article implies indicators that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets. For Target 3.9, the indicator mentioned is the number of deaths and illnesses attributed to hazardous chemicals and air, water, and soil pollution and contamination. The article provides information on the health impacts of air pollution, noise pollution, and exposure to pollutants in rivers, lakes, and oceans, which can be used to measure progress.

Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

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Source: eea.europa.eu

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