Invisible Killer
Publish date 24-05-2026
The issue of air quality, unfortunately, is subject to highs and lows in the ranking of public interest. Let us always start from the data to foster awareness, overcoming misinformation and propaganda.
Air quality
1. is an issue that generally concerns all urban areas, especially the Po Valley, but not only; 2. it is an invisible pollution that requires correct, continuous, and permanent monitoring; 3. it is a form of pollution composed of various elements that must be distinguished and clearly identified; 4. it must be considered by taking into account highly variable annual atmospheric conditions alongside actions implemented over the years by various institutional levels, consumers, and producers; 5. consequences such as directly linkable deaths and diseases (cancer, respiratory and cardiac diseases) must be taken into consideration.
There are also other premises that are not open to debate every time
A. air pollution is a widespread and general problem from which no reality is excluded; B. improvements are due to continuous measures; C. the improvements achieved so far do not justify a loosening of attention and measures, especially European ones for 2030.
In 2025, data worth knowing was released (and is therefore easily accessible online):
1. The European Environment Agency (EEA) report on air pollution shows both the progress made thanks to European environmental policies and how much remains to be done for 2030: 180,000 Europeans died because ultra-fine particulate matter (PM2.5) levels exceeded the WHO maximum limits for a long time (2023 data). This particulate matter can penetrate deep into the lungs, alveoli, and bloodstream, causing inflammation and toxic effects (heart attacks, lung cancer, strokes, diabetes mellitus, asthma in children and adolescents, chronic cough, and respiratory difficulties in the elderly). In the EU, the highest death rates are in specific areas of Bulgaria and Croatia, and in Padua, Italy. Italy is the country with the most victims in terms of premature deaths due to PM2.5: 43,083 deaths. The second country is Poland with 25,640 (half the Italian figure) and Germany with 21,640. Lombardy has 10,569 attributable deaths (145.2 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants), Veneto 5,833 (161.8), Piedmont 3,663 (117.8), and Emilia-Romagna 3,544 (108.3). Comparing data from 2005 to 2023 (EU-27), against a 38% decrease in PM2.5 emissions, premature deaths attributable to air quality decreased by an average of 57%; this indicates that policies—where implemented—have worked (Italy, however, fared worse: deaths decreased by only 32%).
2. The Legambiente "Mal’aria" 2025 report. The survey analyzes annual averages of PM10 and NO2 in 98 cities based on currently set limits (2024 data): 25 out of 98 exceeded the fine dust level (50 mg/m3) for more than 35 days a year. Leading the list are Frosinone, Milan, Verona, Padua, Cremona, Naples, Rovigo, Brescia, Monza, Catania, Rimini, Terni, and Ferrara. The situation would be much worse if the upcoming, more stringent limits were applied.
3. 2025 data in Piedmont: ARPA Piemonte—the body responsible for monitoring—shows a complex situation in Turin and Piedmont. For nitrogen dioxide, the annual limit was respected. For PM10, 50% of the stations remain critical, exceeding limits, with a worsening of some situations regarding summer ozone. The PM2.5 indicator (the most dangerous for health) is only measured at certain points, and these are critical compared to WHO values. ARPA highlights the importance of certain actions against pollutants but admits that the improvement of 2025 over 2024 is also due to more frequent rainfall, which dispersed pollutants.
That being said, the government's budget law has cut funds for air quality in the Po Valley area by 75% for the 2026/2028 three-year period, reducing initiatives—often already weak—that should have been increased (reduction of road traffic, incentives for alternative forms of mobility, replacement of heating systems, technological solutions for reducing ammonia emissions in agriculture and livestock). Why? Perhaps it is considered an irrelevant issue, even though it is an essential element of "health policy" affecting at least 25 million citizens and exposing us to European infractions and sanctions... if we thought we were saving some money...
Carlo Degiacomi
NP February 2026