Cyprus fails EU clean air test

Cyprus has ranked poorly in a recent study on air quality in European cities, with both Limassol and Nicosia falling near the bottom of the list.

According to the European Environment Agency, Limassol is ranked 286th, while Nicosia is 288th out of 372 cities assessed for levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5). The rankings place them only slightly ahead of Athens, which is in the 290th position.

The study found that, despite efforts across Europe to reduce pollution and improve air quality, progress has been limited, as only 13 cities in Europe managed to achieve fine particulate matter levels below the recommended limit set by the agency.

The cleanest air was recorded in Uppsala, Sweden, followed by Umea, also in Sweden. Stockholm, the Swedish capital, is the highest-ranking capital city at 11th place, with Helsinki in Finland closely following in 12th place. Faro in Portugal is ranked third, and Funchal on the island of Madeira also made it into the top ten.

The analysis revealed that three out of four Europeans live in urban areas, where most are exposed to unsafe levels of air pollution.

The report also suggested that aligning air quality with the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) recommendations could significantly reduce the number of premature deaths attributed to air pollution.