We are suffocating at school. The study that the Breathe associationunveils exclusively at 20 minutes, this Tuesday, is alarming. From 2015 to 2019, its scientists studied pollution levels near schools in Auvergne Rhône-Alpes, comparing them to the new WHO recommendations of September 2021.
An online map allows you to click on the establishment of your choice and find out the rate of three major pollutants (PM10, PM2.5 and NO2).
It appears that 100% of establishments in Lyon, Chambéry, Grenoble and Annecy exceed the thresholds recommended by the WHO. “We expected such results, because we know that in France the levels of pollution are not good”, indicates Tony Renucci, director of Respire, a citizen association created in 2011, which has become a benchmark player in terms of air pollution. .
Children are the most vulnerable to pollution
“With the lowering of the WHO recommendations last September, we divided the threshold limit for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) by four, and by two the threshold limit for fine particles, it was therefore obvious that we was going to have bad results,” he explains. “But it’s not just a question of mathematics, it’s a question of public health, and if they have been lowered, it is because there is an urgent need to act,” he adds.
For its study, Respire analyzed the air around schools, not the air inside. These data are therefore valid for everyone, but Tony Renucci reminds us that if children are targeted, it is because they are “the most vulnerable to air pollution. Unicef indicates that in France, three out of four children breathe toxic air, and worldwide, this concerns nine out of ten children. NO2 represents “an increased risk factor for serious respiratory diseases in children”, while “PM2.5 is the most toxic pollutant, it penetrates deep into the lungs and then passes into the bloodstream to reach all organs” , says the study.
Efforts to be continued in terms of mobility
In Lyon itself, “concentrations are improving on each pollutant on average”. But make no mistake about it: on the NO2, 47 establishments went from a “very worrying air” to a “bad air”. The association notes that if “the overall trend in PM10 concentrations is improving sharply between 2015 and 2019”, thanks to the efforts of communities, “NO2 pollution levels remain above WHO recommendations”. As for PM2.5 concentration levels, they are “improving” but “remain above WHO recommendations”.
With its study, Respire calls on communities to continue their efforts: “We know that the first source of air pollution in France is road traffic, in particular nitrogen dioxide”, recalls Tony Renucci. “We must therefore reduce this, by promoting urban development, pedestrianization, soft mobility, public transport…”
To clean up schools, the association recommends the use of CO2 sensors and air purifiers. “A recent parliamentary report also goes in this direction, concludes the director of Respire. We must take advantage of this type of study to experiment with existing systems in real conditions, which would demonstrate their effectiveness, and perhaps encourage the government to commit resources. Equipping schools with CO2 sensors would cost the State 20 million euros. This is small compared to the cost that a generation affected by respiratory diseases would generate.