欧州都市の大気汚染、住民負担年２０．７兆円　調査

【パリＡＦＰ＝時事】大気汚染による欧州各国の都市住民の負担が、長期および短期的健康への影響から、毎年1660億ユーロ（約20兆7000億円）に上っていることが、21日に発表されたCEデルフトの報告書で明らかになった。（写真は資料写真）
　ＣＥデルフトは、４００以上の都市の大気の質、保健および運輸データを分析した。この結果、２０１８年の化石燃料による大気汚染の市民１人当たりの平均費用負担額は１２５０ユーロ（約１５万６０００円）だった。これは市民の年収の約４％に当たるという。
　研究では、各都市の大気汚染と関連する１０以上の健康要因を調べ、排ガスと工場の煙が市民に与える「社会的負担」を定量化した。
　これによると、完全なデータが入手可能だった最新年である２０１８年では、調査対象となった都市住民１億３０００万人の負担額は１６６０億ユーロだった。
　絶対的に大気汚染による社会的負担が最も高かったのは英首都ロンドンで、損失は１１３億８０００万ユーロ（約１兆４０００億円）に上った。次いで、ルーマニアの首都ブカレストが６３億５０００万ユーロ（約８０００億円）、ドイツの首都ベルリンが５２億４０００万ユーロ（約６５００億円）の順。
　社会的負担の大半は、都市住民の早期死亡リスクの増大に関連していた。
　報告書によると、都市部の大気汚染は農業や家庭の暖房、産業など複数の要因がある他、自動車の利用増加と社会的負担の増加に明確な関連がみられた。
　「（車の）通勤利用と台数を減らせば、大気の質にプラスの影響を及ぼし、大気の質が低い都市の社会的負担を減らせることが裏付けられた」と報告書は指摘している。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2020/10/22-10:09）

Air pollution costs inhabitants of European cities more than 160 billion euros ($190 billion) each year due to long- and short-term health impacts, a group of environmental and social watchdogs said in research published Wednesday.
In a sweeping analysis of air quality, health and transport data in more than 400 cities, the CE Delft alliance said that pollution from fossil fuels in 2018 cost the average citizen 1,250 euros -- about 4 percent of their annual income.
Air pollution increases the likelihood of developing conditions that are known risk factors for Covid-19, they said.
Our findings provide additional evidence that reducing air pollution in European cities should be among the top priorities in any attempt to improve the welfare of city populations in Europe, the analysis said.
The present Covid-19 pandemic has only underscored this.
The study looked at more than a dozen health factors linked to air pollution in cities in order to quantify the social cost of exhaust fumes and factory smoke on populations.
The authors put the cost for 130 million citizens in cities studied at 166 billion euros in 2018, the last year for which full data was available.
London had the highest social cost from pollution in absolute terms, totalling 11.38 billion euros lost welfare.
Bucharest (6.35 billion euros lost) and Berlin (5.24 billion euros lost) came second and third, respectively.
Most of the costs related to the heightened risk of premature death experienced by urban dwellers.
The authors said that while air pollution in cities came from a number of sources including agriculture, household heating and industry, there was a clear link between increased car use and heightened social cost.
This confirms that reduced commuting and car ownership has a positive impact on air quality, thus reducing the social costs of poor city air quality, they said.
In July, the Air Quality Life Index released annual data showing that air pollution cuts life expectancy for every man, woman and child on Earth by nearly two years.
Nearly a quarter of the global population lives in just four south Asian countries that are among the most polluted -- Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan.
AQLI found that these populations would see their lifespan cut by five years on average, after being exposed to pollution levels 44 percent higher than 20 years ago.