In Paris, average annual fine particle pollution is three times higher than the threshold set by the WHO, according to a survey unveiled on the occasion of National Air Quality Day, October 14 . There are also strong disparities within the capital. A phenomenon amplified by “canyon streets”, narrow streets bordered by tall buildings which will retain pollution more easily.
In Paris, there are emblematic neighborhoods, worthy of a postcard, where we would dream of living. Who has never fantasized about the heights of Montmartre or the charming streets of the Marais with their special character? But what we know less is that the air there is very polluted. “In Paris, it is better to live on major roads, with the exception of the Boulevards des Maréchaux and the proximity of the ring road, than in small streets, certainly picturesque, but very poorly ventilated,” believes Jean-Baptiste Renard, director of research laboratory LPC2E at the CNRS, which presents an unprecedented analysis of measurements of the level of fine particles in Paris and its immediate suburbs.
The research was carried out using 500 mobile sensors from the Pollutrack network installed on the roof of Geopost/DPD electric delivery vehicles, which made it possible to carry out PM2.5 measurements 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Available on the Pollutrack website, the pollution map in Paris reveals that the annual average of PM2.5 in the capital is around 15μg/m3, three times higher than what the WHO recommends (5μg/m3). m3 or less). With the exception of areas located near peripheral roads and motorway junctions, the data collected reveals a fairly marked split between the southwest and northeast of Paris, with a variation of more than 50%. If the first boundary is the one where we breathe the least polluted air, the second is on the contrary the one which records the highest exposure thresholds.
Full Article (Fr) : LaDepeche.fr