Assessment of the Health Impacts of Urban Air Pollution. Dijon Metropolitan Area. Short- and Long-Term Impacts
An assessment of the health impacts of air pollution in the Dijon metropolitan area was conducted as part of the Burgundy Region’s Regional Air Quality Plan. It follows the methodological approach described by the French Institute for Public Health Surveillance (InVS). The study area consisted of five municipalities where the population’s exposure to air pollution could be considered homogeneous, representing a total population of approximately 190,000 inhabitants. Exposure was estimated based on the daily average concentrations of pollutants routinely monitored by the local air quality monitoring network, specifically sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ozone (O3), and fine particulate matter with a diameter of less than 10 μm (PM10). Health impacts were assessed in both the short and long term. Excluding violent and accidental deaths, the annual number of premature deaths attributable to air pollution in the study area was estimated at 24, including 7 due to cardiovascular causes and 2 due to respiratory causes. In addition, 8 people aged 65 and older are hospitalized annually for a respiratory condition attributable to air pollution. Similarly, 95 hospitalizations for cardiovascular reasons are attributable to air pollution, including 19 for cardiac reasons. A 25% reduction in pollutant concentrations would prevent more than one-third of these deaths and hospitalizations. Finally, regarding long-term health impacts, a 5 μg/m³ reduction in the annual average of PM10 would prevent 24 to 27 deaths per year. These results should be interpreted with caution due to the limitations of the method used. Nevertheless, they show that, even if the relative risks associated with air pollution are low, the high number of people exposed results in a significant collective impact. They also indicate that urban air pollution can have a significant impact on health, even in an urban area like Dijon where limit values are mostly met. Finally, the various reduction scenarios that were tested confirm that action is possible and that the most effective measures would be those aimed at reducing pollutant concentrations on a daily basis. It is therefore important to raise awareness among the public and decision-makers of the need to take preventive action and not only during pollution peaks.
Author(s): Besancenot JP, Laaidi M
Publishing year: 2007
Pages: 38 p.
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