Low-Emission Zones Improve Air Quality and Health in Belgian Cities

New research by Belgian environmental and health experts has confirmed that low-emission zones (LEZs) in large cities such as Brussels, Antwerp, and Ghent have made a measurable impact on air quality and public health. Findings from the study were published in the journal Environment International after Mutualités Libres ordered the study.

LEZs are particular areas in cities where high-emission vehicles are banned or excluded altogether, and only such vehicles that meet very rigorous emissions limits—sometimes hybrid or electric cars—are permitted. LEZs are a component of wider urban schemes designed to reduce pollution and the resulting health risks. To discover whether or not such policies had any practical impact, researchers examined pollution data from cities that have and don't have LEZs in Belgium on the basis of alterations observed following the implementation of LEZs.

Before and after the LEZs were established, air quality samples from various points in Brussels and Antwerp were collected. These were also compared with measurements in other areas of the same cities and similar areas in cities that were not covered by LEZs. The study revealed that nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and particulate matter (PM), both of which are air pollutants known to be predominantly caused by vehicle exhaust, declined more steeply in LEZs than in non-LEZ areas. Most notably, this reduction was not strictly confined to the zones themselves—surrounding areas up to five kilometres also benefited from cleaner air.

The environmental benefit of LEZs is more than merely reduction in pollution. Scientists used health data made available by Mutualités Libres to study the impact of cleaner air on health outcomes. The results indicated that individuals residing in or adjacent to LEZs witnessed a mitigated rising trend in the use of antidiabetic drugs among residents in non-LEZ areas. The finding corroborates a finding of correlation between air pollution and prevalence of diabetes as seen in previous studies linking exposure to nitrogen dioxide with increased risk of diabetes.

The introduction of LEZs also had implications for social inequality. The researchers offered an examination of socio-economic evidence and found that the clean air gains were distributed across income groups, and this may have helped to counter health inequalities. In the areas where economic deprivation levels were higher, where people who lived there were usually more exposed to environmental risks, the clean air gains were especially important.

From both economic and public health viewpoints, the benefits of LEZs are far-reaching. Through limiting exposure to harmful pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide and particulate, the incidence of respiratory and metabolic diseases can be decreased. This results in lower healthcare costs as well as enhancing greater equity in health. Particulate from vehicular exhaust has long been linked with respiratory diseases, including lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Therefore, reducing air pollution decreases the total cost to public health systems.

The impact of LEZs observed in Belgium supports a growing body of evidence from elsewhere in Europe's urban cities that have implemented similar policies. The evidence testifies to the effectiveness of urban traffic regulation policies designed to enhance air quality. Moreover, the demonstrated spill-over effect up to as far as five kilometres outside LEZs testifies to regional pay-offs of localized emission controls.

The study was conducted as a quasi-experiment to benefit from real-life contexts to produce results that could be applied elsewhere to other urban regions considering similar initiatives. The authors, led by Luk Bruyneel and co-authors, noted continued monitoring and adjustment of such interventions to maximize the environmental as well as the health benefit.

As urban centers throughout Europe become increasingly pressed to cut carbon emissions and face climate change, the Belgian example offers a model of incorporating environmental policy and public health goals. Although the research concentrated on urban centers in Belgium, the implications are widespread and lend evidence-based grounds for future LEZ implementation elsewhere.

In the future, health data integration in environmental assessments may be a key driver in the design of more effective and equitable urban policy. The collaboration of physicians and environmental scientists in this study highlights the importance of intersectoral partnership in addressing challenging issues surrounding urban sustainability and public health.

Source/Credits:
Original Study: Environment International
Research Commissioned by: Mutualités Libres