We Love Brussels
  • Urban Life
    • Urban Jungle
    • Photo Stories
    • But Why?
    • Smart City
    • City Branding
    • Seniors
    • Real Estate
  • Culture & Creativity
    • New Economy
    • Local Makers & Shakers
    • Illustrations
    • Fashion City
  • Discover & Meet
    • Travel & Tourism news
    • Foodie guide
  • Event Diary
  • Europolitan Trends
Brussels Inspiration Bureau
Social Links
Instagram 56K Followers
Facebook 57K Followers
Twitter 10K Followers
  • Our Story
  • Partnerships & Collaborations
  • Contact
56K
57K
10K
We Love Brussels
We Love Brussels
  • Urban Life
    • Urban Jungle
    • Photo Stories
    • But Why?
    • Smart City
    • City Branding
    • Seniors
    • Real Estate
  • Culture & Creativity
    • New Economy
    • Local Makers & Shakers
    • Illustrations
    • Fashion City
  • Discover & Meet
    • Travel & Tourism news
    • Foodie guide
  • Event Diary
  • Europolitan Trends
  • Community news
  • Building the platform
  • Community of city admirers
  • Partnerships & Collaborations
  • Get in Touch
Become our contributor. Join the team!

Sign up for our newsletter

Get our periodical updates. Zero spam.

  • Urban Life

Socially vulnerable people hit hardest by air pollution in Brussels

  • Editorial Team
  • March 5, 2020
  • 3 minute read

VUB research shows that socially vulnerable people suffer more from harmful particulate matter due to living and working situation. Air pollution remains a serious problem in Brussels, affecting the quality of life for urban population.

The most socially vulnerable groups face higher concentrations of air pollution and are also more susceptible to its negative health consequences. This is the conclusion of a study by the VUB Interface Demography research group. The team led byProf. Dr. Sylvie Gadeyne examined  the impact of the living environment on health and mortality in Brussels. “Regarding the results, we call on policymakers to work together, to focus on the source of the pollution and to inform the population about the health risks,” says researcher Charlotte Noël.

The damage to health and well-being caused by air pollution is considerable. One of the most harmful pollutants is particulate matter (PM2.5). The most common health effects of exposure to PM2.5 are respiratory and heart diseases. In addition to a considerable direct health cost, air pollution also creates numerous social and economic costs through, among other things, the loss of healthy life years, medical costs and reduced productivity.

The health of socially vulnerable people is more at risk

A team within the research group Interface Demography, led by Prof. Dr. Sylvie Gadeyne, mapped the relationship between air pollution and mortality in the Brussels-Capital Region. The researchers paid particular attention to the role of social background factors. They linked population data such as socio-economic situation and mortality to concentrations of outdoor air pollution measured using data from the Interregional Cell for the Environment (IRCEL-CELINE).

The study found that the higher concentrations of particulate matter in Brussels are mainly found in the poorer neighbourhoods. The data also show that the mortality risk from exposure to higher concentrations of air pollution is higher in poorer neighbourhoods compared to the richer neighbourhoods. An increase of 5µg/m3 in the concentration of PM2.5, for example, results in a 16% increase in the mortality risk in poorer neighbourhoods compared to 7% in the richer neighbourhoods.

The higher concentrations of particulate matter in the poorer neighbourhoods are mainly explained by the structure of the neighbourhoods, with many narrow streets and less greenery, as well as by the infrastructure of many motorised transport. The living and working situation also contributes to the increased mortality risk. Socially vulnerable people tend to live in low quality housing with poor ventilation and insulation and they often work in jobs that are performed in public spaces (bus drivers, street sweepers, …) leading to higher exposure to air pollution. These unfavourable living conditions, such as poor housing and working conditions, financial stress, unhealthy food reinforce the negative effects of air pollution on their health.

The researchers conclude from their study the need for a policy in which air pollution is part of public health. Since pollution does not respect borders, it is also important that the different levels cooperate intensively. The problem of air pollution also requires intensive cooperation between different policy areas.

“Our research also shows that people’s knowledge of the air quality surrounding them and the impact of this air quality on their health is limited. The government could better inform and raise awareness among the population about the health risks of air pollution. Again, prevention is better than cure. Once pollution is present, effective protective measures are limited,” concludes Charlotte Noel.

The godfathers of this research project are Bruxelles Environnement, the Brussels Capital Health and Social Observatory and BRAL. More info on http://greenandquiet.be.

The research was funded bij Innoviris.

Source: VUB Press

Photo by aris setya
Total
0
Shares
Like 0
Tweet 0
Share 0
Share 0
Like 0
Share 0
Editorial Team

WeLoveBrussels is a digital platform focusing on the city life, culture, creativity, events, amazing places, lifestyle, urban development trends and simple beauty around us.

You May Also Like
View Post
  • New Economy
  • smart city

The first public-oriented AI Test & Experience Center opens in Brussels

  • Editorial Team
  • March 24, 2023
View Post
  • Urban Life

Port of Brussels launches a new campaign for the clean canal

  • Editorial Team
  • March 20, 2023
View Post
  • archi & urban heritage
  • real estate

Urban redevelopment: Boulevard Auguste Reyers

  • Editorial Team
  • March 6, 2023
Brussels Inspiration Bureau

Exploring the best of Brussels since 2014.

Discover more!
Our columnists & bloggers:
Aleksandra Rowicka
Addicted to cultural life of Brussels, fashion photography and dark…
Aris Setya
Indonesian living in Brussels. Passionate about photography. Love…
Boro Milovic
Boro is the founder and editor-in-chief of WeLoveBrussels. His interests…
Dorka Demeter
Dorka is a Hungarian expat living in Brussels for 10 years. Admirer of…
Emilia Valbum
Expat from Copenhagen living in Brussels. EU + global politics nerd on…
Fadi Dalati
A urologist by profession, and a photographer by passion. I try to…
Julia Zelle
Half-Italian, half-German girl who has just moved to Bruxelles.…
Karolina
Karolina is a blogger sharing stories on European cities, local…
kateinbrussels
I am Kate. I've lived in Brussels for 16 years and am still discovering…
Meredith @ellesbxl
Meredith Geldof is a Flemish girl who moved to Brussels and enjoys…
Tireless_Traveler
Nath is born and raised in Brussels but with a serious case of…
Download our free guide!
Incentives & events in Brussels:
Incentives & events in Brussels:
Missed our printed edition?
Press Club Brussels Europe
As seen in
25 most popular instagram accounts in Belgium

Views & opinions expressed across this website are solely that of the authors and contributors themselves and may not reflect the position of WeLoveBrussels. The editorial or publisher of WeLoveBrussels cannot be held responsible for expressed opinions or unintended errors and oversights if any.

Get our periodical updates. Zero spam.

Instagram 56K Followers
Facebook 57K Followers
Twitter 10K Followers
WeLoveBrussels
  • Our story & more
  • Get in Touch
  • Privacy Policy
  • Legal notice
Brussels Inspiration Bureau. Your guide to city life, culture, business, travel, Brussels events agenda & cultural diplomacy.

Input your search keywords and press Enter.

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT