The country of la Dolce Vita has a serious environmental problem: it has the highest local PM2.5 concentrations, according to the latest European Environment Agency (EEA) Air Quality Status report.
PM2.5 is a dangerous, fine dust that penetrates deep into the lungs and blood, and can be caused by road traffic, but also by refineries, cement plants, fossil fuels, and wildfires.
Between 2024 and 2025, the highest annual averages were observed in southern Italy, according to the EEA.
At 117 and 113 μg/m3 (micrograms per cubic metre), respectively, the towns of Ceglie Messapica and Torchiarolo had the worst results compared to the EU’s annual limit of 25 μg/m3.
Why do these locations report such high PM2.5 rates?
“As we’ve seen in the past, those spikes are mainly caused by biomass burning during the winter — mostly from fireplaces,” said Gianluigi De Gennaro, chemistry and environmental impact professor at Bari University.
“Pollution becomes more severe due to the atmosphere’s reduced ability to disperse harmful particles in that area at that time of the year,” he said, adding that this is due to a lower, denser planetary boundary layer, the lowest part of the Earth’s atmosphere, extending up to around 3,000 metres.
Northern Italy — the country’s main industrial area — presents another clearly concerning cluster, with a high density of locations where annual particulate matter levels hover close to the 25 μg/m3 threshold.
During the same 2024-25 period, in addition to Italy, regions in eight EU and non-EU countries exceeded the limit, namely Poland, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, North Macedonia, Romania, Turkey, and even Denmark, at a site in Copenhagen, which recorded a striking 95 μg/m3.
Some of the highest concentrations of these “red dots” in Europe were found in Sarajevo and North Macedonia’s industrial areas.
Where are the highest estimated mortality rates linked to PM2.5?
In fact, the Balkans and Eastern Europe are the regions with the highest estimated mortality rate per 100,000 people linked to long-term PM2.5 exposure, including Albania, Bulgaria, Greece and Romania.
Again, Italy (101) has much higher estimated mortality levels than similarly sized countries, such as Spain (41), France (34) and Germany (37), while the lowest rates all emerged in northern Europe: Iceland, Finland, Sweden, Estonia and Norway.
In general, however, more than nine in 10 Europeans are exposed to unsafe air pollution concentrations, according to stricter WHO standards, which puts its PM2.5 threshold at just 5 μg/m3.
Which other pollutants should you be aware of?
Unfortunately, PM2.5 isn’t the only dangerous pollutant.
“Air quality continues to improve, but in up to 20% of monitoring stations in Europe, air pollution is still above the current EU air quality standards”, according to the EEA.
The organisation also warns against PM10, another inhalable particulate matter, and ground-level ozone, which is formed by the interaction of sunlight with hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides emitted by car tailpipes and smokestacks, and whose rate has more than doubled since 1900.
Benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) is another harmful substance arising from cigarette smoke, as well as charred food and fossil fuel exhaust.
How can you protect yourself from pollution?
According to experts, prevention starts with simple habits.
For example, De Gennaro recommends that people living in urban areas avoid airing out their homes during peak traffic hours, so only after 9:00 am. An air purifier can also partially help clean indoor air.
Experts at the EEA also told us to use only certified burning stoves, avoid burning fuels on winter days and avoid outdoor activities, like running, during the periods with the highest concentration of harmful substances in the air.
It’s also useful to stay informed about pollution levels through apps providing real-time geolocalised data.