Air quality is "generally satisfactory" for the year 2008. While the emission of pollutants in the exterior environment is decreasing, France is still faced with a high concentration of fine particles, in particular in the interior.
The French breathe better and better, with air quality "generally satisfactory" in 2008, reported Ademe in its annual report on air quality.
"Overall, the air we breathe today is better than two or three years ago, except for the levels of particles and nitrogen oxides", explained the president of the agency, Philippe Van de Maele. "We are in a process of reducing atmospheric pollution in line with previous years but we must remain vigilant," he added.
“A half-day of a chimney fire emits as many particles as 3500 km in diesel,” cited Chantal Jouanno, Secretary of State for Sustainable Development, as an example.
AFP
“A half-day of a chimney fire emits as many particles as 3500 km in diesel,” cited Chantal Jouanno, Secretary of State for Sustainable Development, as an example.
The conclusions of the Ademe
- A flagrant drop in the presence of certain pollutants (benzene, CO2, ozone, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen) despite several peaks. "Most of the work is done on these pollutants," said the Secretary of State, present at the press conference. Thanks to these reductions, "the air breathed today is better than two or three years ago", added Philippe Van de Maele.
- One category of pollutants still poses a problem: fine particles. Although their emissions are down, they remain unknown to the general public: "we are therefore at the beginning of the work", warned Chantal Jouanno. A "particle plan" will emerge at the start of the school year with a series of measures to be applied (the use of new materials in housing and industry with the creation of green labels, or even the experimentation of a dozen of "zero emissions" zones, prohibited for polluting vehicles).
Air quality: the French environment issue 1
The Secretary of State for Sustainable Development insisted on the issues of air quality, which she described as "the first concern of the French in terms of the environment". "It's a health and social issue," she recalled. Health, because there are more than 30 deaths linked to air pollution each year, a figure which worsens with the aging of the population. Social, because it is the poorest classes who live in the most polluting housing.
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