Decades of research and thousands of toxicological and epidemiological studies have established a clear link between pollution and health, even at concentrations below European regulatory limits and the guideline values recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). Santé publique France has estimated that, in France, 48,000 premature deaths are attributable to fine particulate matter each year.

Monitoring the Health Impacts of Air Pollution

Monitoring the health impacts of air pollution was entrusted to Santé publique France by the Law on Air and the Rational Use of Energy of December 30, 1996. Our latest study focuses on the short-term impact of nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) on mortality in 18 French urban areas for the period 2010–2014. The study shows that the effects of NO₂ are more pronounced among people aged 75 and older and that the associations remain stable after adjusting for PM10 fine particulate matter. The results confirm that exposure to NO2, as a marker of traffic-related pollution, is associated with mortality, even at annual average concentrations that comply with European regulations and the WHO guideline value.

Quantitative Health Impact Assessments (EQIS): A Tool to Guide and Support Public Policy

One of the objectives of this monitoring is to support local, national, and European public policies on outdoor air pollution. Quantitative Health Impact Assessments (EQIS) are a central tool in this support for public policy: they enable various stakeholders (decision-makers, healthcare professionals, institutional actors, etc.) to take ownership of the health challenges posed by air pollution in their region. It is also a tool for raising public awareness of the effects of air pollution.

Developing and sharing the EQIS tool to make it accessible to as many people as possible has been at the heart of Santé publique France’s Air and Health program strategy since its inception. In 2016, Santé publique France conducted an EQIS across mainland France; in 2017, in the Arve Valley; and in 2018, an EQIS was developed to assess the potential benefits of a low-emission zone in the Paris region. Also in 2018, Santé publique France established a partnership with the WHO to adapt, translate, and test a new EQIS calculation tool: the AirQ+ software, which will be presented on November 6, 2019, at the event “Assessing the Health Impact of Air Pollution,” co-organized with ADEME.

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