72 Italian cities broke the law on air-pollution in 2022

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ROME. KAZINFORM - Environmental association Legambiente said in a report on Monday 72 out of 95 Italian cities did not comply with the law in 2022 because their average level of Pm10 particles was above the World Health Organization's air quality guideline (AQG) level of 20 micrograms per cubic metre of air, Kazinform cites ANSA.

So only 23, 24% of the total, were below the threshold.

The report said the cities that needed to work hardest to cut Pm10 pollution were Turin and Milan, where cuts of 43% are needed, followed by Cremona (42%), Andria (41%) and Alessandria (40%).

It said Monza was the most badly affected in terms of the finer Pm2.5 particles, with a 60% reduction needed, followed by Milan, Cremona, Padua and Vicenza, which needed cuts of 57%.

The cities that need to work hardest to reduce nitrogen dioxide levels are Milan (47%), Turin (46%), Palermo (44%), Como (43%), Catania (41%) and Rome (39%).

«The pollution degrowth trend is too slow, exposing cities to new health risks and penalties,» the report said.

The association said having more and bigger areas of cities with traffic limitations and boosting public transport and shared mobility were among the ways in which councils can cut air pollution.

«The direct effects of pollution on human health regard various systems and organs,» said Alessandro Miani, the president of the Italian Society of Environmental Medicine (SIMA), commenting on the report.

«The indirect effects lead to an increase of up to 14% in cancer incidence in the polluted areas».


Photo: ansa.it

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