Air Pollution and Health:
A Critical Link
Understanding the Impact
Explore more about how electric vehicles can reduce air pollution. Discover the profound impact of air pollution on public health and explore solutions for a cleaner future.
The Health Impacts of Air Pollution
The three major anthropogenic air pollutants that pose a danger to human health are nitrogen oxides (NOx), ground-level ozone (O₃) and particulate matter (basically very fine dust) under 2.5 μm in diameter which can penetrate the alveoli in the lungs.
This page contains data driven visualizations that highlight the air pollution in Europe due to transportation and the years of life lost by the above pollutants.
Using available data on years of life lost due to air pollution and the contribution percentage of the road transportation sector to total emissions[5], we can obtain an estimate on total years of life lost due to road traffic. This measure reflects the loss of life that can be prevented by transitioning to tailpipe emissions-free electric vehicles. This effect would of course be maximal near high-density population centres and secondary for long-haul and intercity heavy vehicle transportation.
Air Pollution in Europe
Visualizing the Impact
Conclusions
Transitioning to electric vehicles can drastically reduce these pollutants, leading to a substantial improvement in public health and an increase in life expectancy. The data suggests that the adoption of electric vehicles could lead to a significant reduction in the number of premature deaths and chronic illnesses.