The assessment of the health impacts of air pollution conducted in the Périgueux metropolitan area is part of the Regional Air Quality Plan (PRQA). The study area, identified as the zone where the population’s exposure to air pollution can be considered uniform, consists of five municipalities with a total population of 52,948 people. The exposure indicators used are based on data for three pollutants: ozone (O3), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and fine particulate matter (PM10). The health impact was assessed in the short term by estimating the number of premature deaths and hospital admissions attributable to pollution, and in the long term by estimating the annual number of deaths attributable to pollution. The total number of deaths attributable to short-term air pollution is estimated at five for the year 2001. A 25% reduction in the annual average ozone level would result in a health benefit of approximately 60%. Regarding the long-term health impact, a 5 μg/m³ reduction in the annual average PM10 level would prevent 10 deaths per year. The analyses also examined the health impact in terms of hospitalizations for cardiovascular and respiratory causes, a significant proportion of which could be prevented through a reduction in air pollution. Although the results must be interpreted with caution given the numerous uncertainties and limitations of the method used, this study highlights the health effects of pollution. The most effective measures would therefore be those that reduce, on the one hand, daily emissions at the source and, on the other hand, the number of significant pollution episodes. (R.A.)