According to the pollution limits set by Spanish legislation, 35% of the population is affected by emissions ofpolluted air, that is, one out of every three Spaniards. If these indices were measured using the guidelines established by the World Health Organization (WHO), the affected population would reach 84%.
This is clear from the latest report by Ecologists in Action on air quality in Spain in 2008, presented yesterday in Madrid. “Most of the Spanish population lives in cities, and almostthree quarters of the pollutioncomes fromexhaust pipes“The study authors note. Environmentalists have highlighted that the most problematic pollutants aresuspended particles(PM10 and PM2.5), although others such astropospheric ozone(O3) and thenitrogen dioxide (NO2) also affect health. In total, according to the limit values of the Spanish directive on air quality, there are 12 million people who breathe suspended particles and six million, nitrogen dioxide.
The most serious thing is that according to data from the Ministry of the Environment, Rural and Marine Affairs (MARM), in Spain 16,000 people die prematurely per year due to air pollution. “It is five times more than people who die in traffic accidents,” stressed the ecologist.
Among the most curious data of the report presented, it stands out that in 2008 there was a small reduction in pollution levels compared to other years. According to ecologists, this reduction is due to two conjunctural events: atmospheric instability withmore rain and wind, which disperse pollutants, and thecrisis, which reduces energy consumption.
