Eastern Europe still breathes Europe's most polluted air

Despite progress in air quality across Europe, a new scientific commentary warns that people in Eastern Europe continue to breathe some of the most polluted air on the continent. The health burden from air pollution is several times higher in countries like Serbia, Poland and Bulgaria compared to Denmark or France. The authors call for urgent action to reduce these inequalities.

In the article, researchers from across Europe – including partners in the VALESOR project – outline key challenges behind the air pollution divide. While levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) have decreased in much of Western Europe, countries in the East continue to struggle with outdated infrastructure, coal-based heating, industrial emissions and insufficient monitoring.

“According to some previous report, up to 50 percent of the PM2.5 levels measured in countries like Denmark come from long-range transport – mainly from Central and Eastern Europe” Nataša Dragić MD, PhD Public Health Sciences,note with the rest of coauthors.

The commentary builds on discussions from a workshop on environmental justice in Europe, held at the International Society for Environmental Epidemiology (ISEE) Young and Early Career Researcher conference in 2024. Case studies from Latvia, Serbia, Bulgaria and Poland are presented alongside comparisons with Denmark and France.

Local research and citizen engagement key to solutions

The authors emphasize that more locally grounded research is needed to understand how pollution affects health in the Eastern region. Currently, a lack of high-resolution air quality data, insufficient health data infrastructure, and limited research capacity hinder progress.

The authors propose five key actions

• Improve data and transparency on pollution levels and health risks.
• Invest in research and training in environmental epidemiology across Eastern Europe.
• Engage policymakers and citizens to co-create cleaner, healthier environments.
• Foster collaboration between Western and Eastern countries to share best practices.
• Secure targeted EU support for rapid transition away from coal and outdated heating systems.

According to the researchers, tackling air pollution inequality is not only a matter of justice – it’s also essential to meet the EU Green Deal’s Zero Pollution goals.

“Air pollution is not just a local issue. Reducing emissions in Eastern Europe will improve health outcomes across the entire continent,” they conclude.