Most of the surface ozone contributing to deaths in Europe 'imported'

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🗞️ Driving the news: Most surface ozone causing premature deaths in Europe is "imported" pollution from outside the continent, according to a new study
• Researchers from ISGlobal, Inserm, and the Barcelona Supercomputing Center found that about 60% of ozone-related deaths in Europe come from non-European sources

🔭 The context: Ground-level ozone forms when pollutants from sources like cars and power plants react with sunlight
• The study analyzed data from 813 regions in 35 European countries, concluding that only around 12% of these deaths were due to national pollution sources

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: The transboundary nature of air pollution underscores the need for global cooperation in addressing air quality
• Ozone pollution has severe impacts on human health and ecosystems, including respiratory diseases and reduced crop yields

⏭️ What's next: Researchers call for coordinated global and local actions to reduce ozone concentrations, rather than relying solely on national and regional measures
• Addressing this issue requires comprehensive strategies that account for pollution sources beyond local borders.

💬 One quote: "Ozone has harmful effects on human health (respiratory diseases) and ecosystems...despite stringent emission reduction policies, no decreasing trends of background ozone levels are monitored," said Dr. Laurence Rouil, Director of the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service

📈 One stat: Researchers estimated that approximately 114,000 deaths were attributable to surface ozone in Europe over the study period from 2015 to 2017

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