MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The study, published on Tuesday, explores the latest complete data submitted in 2010 for the European Region, which covers 53 countries from the Atlantic to the Pacific oceans. It shows that polluted air causes 600,000 fatalities a year, as well as induces heart and respiratory conditions in hundreds of thousands of people.
Air Pollution in World: Real-time Air Quality Index Visual Map http://t.co/y5NZXhiJxn pic.twitter.com/2IBsVEfynS
— Beautiful Maps (@BeautifulMaps) April 27, 2015
The estimated cost is equal to one tenth of the gross domestic product (GDP) of the entire European Union in 2013.
Long-term exposure to air pollution may pose risk to #brain structure, cognitive functions http://t.co/KL39zp35oI pic.twitter.com/3TPiEyDEsD
— PsyPost.org (@PsyPost) April 28, 2015
"Curbing the health effects of air pollution pays dividends. The evidence we have provides decision-makers across the whole of government with a compelling reason to act," WHO Regional Director for Europe, Zsuzsanna Jakab, said in the report.
Londoners demand Cameron, Miliband, Clegg and Boris do more to tackle "toxic" air pollution http://t.co/6CpIZRHFWW pic.twitter.com/ac6oWF0skG
— nicholas cecil (@nicholascecil) April 28, 2015
Georgia is estimated to bear the greatest economic burden attributable to air pollution fatalities at 35.2 percent of its GDP, while this cost for Norway is only 0.3 percent of GDP.