Take a Breath! - Adaptation Actions to reduce adverse health impacts of air pollution

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With every breath we take risk of inhaling some very dangerous substances is unavoidable. Impacts of this can significantly influence our health and therefore it is not surprising that air pollution has become one of the most important issues we face today. World Health Organisation has identified that air pollution is a major problem, particularly in Central and Eastern parts of Europe. Air pollution impact at the local level however may be caused far away from where the main effects are realised. Additionally, it may be aggravated by the effects of climate change, particularly severe weather events. Air pollution contains particles suspended in the air, the three main sources of which are vehicle exhaust, industrial activities and the burning of fossil fuel. These can contribute to the development of various disorders which result in respiratory complaints and a deterred health. This can also undermine the competitiveness of a city/region by deterring the movement of people and enterprise to affected areas. Thus, air pollution impacts at different levels, spatially and temporally, in the home, health care systems and the workplace. The TAB project responds directly to the concerns of reducing the effects of air pollution at the local level by focusing on the forces driving air pollution at the transnational level. The general objective of TAB is to reduce the adverse effects of air pollution originating from industrial production, road traffic and domestic heating on the health and quality of life of citizens in the partner cities/regions and also to limit the ways by which these may be exacerbated by extreme weather events induced by climate change.

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