According to a review commissioned by Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL), Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) can have a significant impact on health. HEAL is a European non-profit organisation.
Key points
- NO2-an air pollutant can lead to premature death from respiratory and circulatory illness.
- It can also deteriorate the health of people living with respiratory or cardiovascular diseases.
- Numerous scientific studies conducted recently indicate the harmful health effects of exposure to NO2 at concentrations often found in cities, with road transport and diesel engines in particular, as the main source.
- Other sectors of NO2 emissions include energy production and agriculture, as well as industry and utility service.
- Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) is one of a group of highly reactive gases known as oxides of nitrogen or nitrogen oxides (NOx).
- NO2 primarily gets in the air from the burning of fuel. NO2 forms from emissions from cars, trucks and buses, power plants, and off-road equipment.NO2 and other NOx interact with water, oxygen and other chemicals in the atmosphere to form acid rain. Acid rain harms sensitive ecosystems such as lakes and forests.
- Given the urgency to act on the large health burden from air pollution, HEAL advocated for a change in the legally binding limit of NO2 to 10 micrograms per cubic metre (μg / m3) annual average for the maximum concentration by 2030.
- This aligns with the recommendation of the World Health Organization (WHO).
- In 2021, WHO redefined the threshold of NO2 and made it more stringent. The annual NO2 guideline is now four times tighter than the 2005 limit of 40 μg / m3.
