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An EU report has estimated that approximately 400,000 European deaths in 2021 were related to exposure to three major air pollutants.
Pollution from fine particulate matter, also known as PM2.5, resulted in 253,000 deaths, while exposure to nitrogen dioxide, or NO2, accounted for 52,000 and short-term ozone, or O3, led to 22,000 mortalities, Reuters reported, citing a newly released report from the European Environment Agency.
Reuters noted that NO2 exposure can be particularly harmful to people with diabetes, while PM2.5 can be dangerous for people with heart conditions.
If European nations outside the EU were included, the pollutants contributed to the deaths 389,000 people. The highest number of deaths related to fine particulate matter occurred in Poland, Italy and Germany, with the lowest number in Iceland, Scandinavia and Estonia.
Turkey, Italy and Germany saw the most deaths related to exposure to nitrous dioxide and short-term ozone.