European air pollution report documents slow and steady decrease

Smog in Paris (Credit: Fernando Mafra, via Flickr)

A newly released European Environment Agency report on European air quality states that countries in the European Union have significantly reduced air pollution, but it still remains a health hazard.

Data collected by many air quality monitoring stations across Europe show a trend of slow but steadily decreasing concentrations of particulate matter, ozone, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide.

Despite decreases, the BBC reports that 96 percent of the European Union’s urban population was likely exposed to fine particulate matter above World Health Organization Guidelines.

The report mentions future changes to the European Union’s air policy including tightening regulation on international shipping fuel standards and international air pollution ceilings for common pollutants.

Data were collected between 2000 and 2011.

Image: Smog in Paris (Credit: Fernando Mafra, via Flickr)