People living in Slovakia lose, on average, more than one year of life expectancy due to air pollution. This is according to an analysis by researchers from the Institute of Epidemiology at the Faculty of Medicine of the Comenius University in Bratislava, led by Professor Alexandra Bražinová. The study assessed the impact of air pollution on life expectancy down to the level of individual municipalities. The Faculty of Medicine announced the findings on social media.
The research team analyzed data from 935,057 deaths recorded over a 17-year period and combined these with population data and measurements of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and benzo[a]pyrene concentrations. Based on these data, the researchers identified the regions experiencing the greatest health burden from air pollution.
The results showed that in the most polluted municipalities, median life expectancy is more than two years shorter than in municipalities with the cleanest air. The most severe negative impacts are concentrated in regions where solid fuels are widely used for household heating. Elevated pollution levels in these areas result from a combination of local emission sources and unfavorable geographical conditions that limit the dispersion of pollutants. The most affected areas include southern central and eastern Slovakia, as well as parts of the Orava and Liptov regions.
The study was carried out by the Institute of Epidemiology at the Faculty of Medicine of Comenius University in cooperation with the Institute for Environmental Policy of the Slovak Ministry of the Environment and the Institute of Health Analyses of the Slovak Ministry of Health.
Source: TASR
