A 2013 assessment by WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) concluded that outdoor air pollution is carcinogenic to humans, with the particulate matter component of air pollution most closely associated with increased cancer incidence, especially lung cancer.
The Board meets regularly, bringing together ministers from the health and environment sectors to address important issues in the WHO European Region.
Evidence published by WHO/Europe earlier this year, as part of the international project to review evidence on health aspects of air pollution (REVIHAAP), confirmed the importance of outdoor air pollution as a risk factor for health, and strengthened the causal link between fine particles (PM2.5) and cardiovascular and respiratory ill health. It also showed that long-term exposure to PM2.5 can trigger a range of problems, such as atherosclerosis, adverse birth outcomes and childhood respiratory diseases, and suggested possible links with neurological development, cognitive function and diabetes.
IARC’s recent classification provides indisputable evidence that air pollution is carcinogenic, and adds to the compelling evidence for taking action to improve air quality in order to reduce this important burden of disease in Europe.
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