Legambiente alarm on the increase of fine dust: 29 Italian cities out of 95 exceeded the PM10 daily limits in 2022. The worst situations in Turin, Milan, Modena, Asti, Padua and Venice which recorded more than double the authorized overruns. And Torino, with 98 days overrun, took the very uncomfortable black jersey of the most polluted cities. The data was published in the report “Mal’Aria di città 2023: desired change of pace», the annual analysis of Legambiente on the state of air pollution in the Italian provincial capitals.

PM10 FINE PUSTERS: TURIN AND MILAN WORST OF 2022

More specifically, in 2022, they are 29 citiesamong those for which data are available, who have exceeded the 35-day exceedance limit for PM10: above all, as we have unfortunately seen, Turin with 98 offences, followed by Milan with 84, Asti 79, Modena 75, Padua and Venice with 70. These cities have in fact doubled the number of offenses tolerated by the legislation ( 35) and represent for 2022 the tip of the iceberg of air pollution in our cities. Overall, 76% of the cities monitored (i.e. 72 of the 95 for which data was available) exceeded the limits set by the future directive on air quality which, in effect, has halved the average allowable annual concentration, from the current 40 µg/mc to the expected 20 µg/mc by 2030.

Considering this, the the furthest cities from the 2030 target are Turin and Milan (43%), Cremona (42%), Andria (41%) and Alessandria (40%). All will have to reduce PM10 concentrations by more than 40% in the coming years to avoid infringement proceedings.

FINE DUST: 84.5% OF ITALIAN CITIES AWAY FROM NEW PM2.5 LIMITS IN 2030

Also for the PM2.5 there is a serious critical situation. Of the 85 cities for which data was available, in 2022 well 71 recorded values ​​higher than those forecast for 2030 of the next directive, i.e. 84%. Monza (25 µg/mc), Milan, Cremona, Padua and Vicenza (23 µg/mc), Alessandria, Bergamo, Piacenza and Turin (22 µg/mc), Como (21 µg/mc) the cities that are doubling today will be the new legal value for PM2.5 (10 µg/mc against 25 µg/mc).

Given the new threshold Monza (60%), Milan, Cremona, Padua and Vicenza (57%), Bergamo, Piacenza, Alessandria and Turin (55%), Como (52%), Brescia, Asti and Mantua (50%) , they must more than half current concentrations in just 7 years.

FINE DUST IN ITALY: BAD FORECASTS ALSO REGARDING NITROGEN DIOXIDE

57 out of 94 (61%) on the other hand, they are the cities which, while not exceeding the current legislative limit for the nitrogen dioxide (NO2)in 2030 they will be banned given the concentrations recorded in 2022: in fact the new limit of 20 µg/mc would have been exceeded in 57 cities, with the most critical situations and far from the new objective recorded in Milan (38 µg/mc ), Turin (37 µg/mc), Palermo and Como (35 µg/mc), Catania (34 µg/mc) which will have to reduce their emissions by more than 40%.

Milan (47%) and Turin (46%), followed by Palermo (44%), Como (43%), Catania (41%), Rome (39%), Monza, Genoa Trento and Bolzano (34%) will therefore be to have to reduce by more than a third current NO2 concentrations to meet 2030 limits.

FINE PUSTERS: NEW LIMITS EU 2030, THERE IS A LOT OF WORK ON

According to Legambiente, some cities must redouble their efforts to reduce their concentrations of fine particles and adapt to the new limits established by the European Union, which will officially come into force on January 1, 2030:

• 20 µg/mc not to be exceeded for PM10;
• 10 µg/mc not to be exceeded for PM2.5
• 20 µg/mc not to be exceeded for NO2.

Limits which are however less strict than those required by the WHO. The current downward trend in pollution, while positive, is in any case too slow: at this rate Italian cities could take another 17 years on average to meet the targets, or rather 2040 instead of 2030. As they stand, cities like Modena, Treviso, Vercelli could take more than 30 years. For NO2, a city like Catania could take more than 40 years. More than 7 years…

POLLUTION IN CITIES: LEGAMBIENTE PROPOSES 6 INTERVENTIONS

In view of these figures, Legambiente is therefore asking the Government, Regions and Municipalities for significant investments. fight against pollution in citiesputting in place courageous actions:Health is a fundamental right that cannot be compromised: in Europe, air pollution is the leading cause of premature death due to environmental factors and Italy has a sad record with over 52,000 PM2.5 deaths per year, 1/5 of those recorded across the continent”. For its part, the environmental association proposes six interventions to reduce urban pollution:

1. Transition from Ztl (limited traffic zones) to Zez (zero emission zones). As demonstrated above all by London’s experience with the Ultra Low Emission Zone (LEZ), restrictions on the circulation of the most polluting vehicles reduce traffic emissions by 30% and 40%.
2. Lez also for the warm up. We need a major plan for the energy redevelopment of public and private buildings, and to encourage a drastic conversion of zero-emission housing through the widespread dissemination of structural measures, such as the Superbonus, suitably corrected for past errors such as incentives replacement of gas boilers.
3. Improved public transport e Rapid Transit (Trm) by quadrupling the line offer and promoting integrated subscriptions.
4. Sharing mobility. Encourage shared electric mobility (micro, bike, car, van and cargo bike) and create 16,000 km of additional cycle paths.
5. Rethinking urban public space a human measure: ’15 minutes city’, road safety towards ‘Vision Zero’, ’30 city’, etc.
6. All electric in towneven before 2035, thanks to the gradual extension of the Zez until the tripling of the registration of electric buses and the establishment of Zed districts (Zero Emission Distribution).

Click here to read the full report”Mal’Aria di città 2023by Legambiente.