The European Environment Agency (EEA) on Friday said air pollution was responsible for 29,980 premature deaths in Spain in 2013.
According to the EEA, the 2013 data is an improvement on the 2012 figures when it calculates 33,200 premature deaths could be attributed to air pollution.
The EEA after examining data from over 400 cities, linked air pollution to 467,000 deaths in 41 European countries with nine out of 10 Europeans who lived in cities breathing air that damaged their health.
“The good news is that emissions have decreased in recent years, although officials say they are not enough to avoid unacceptable damage to human health and the environment.
“Data from monitoring stations in Europe in 2014 showed 85 per cent of urban dwellers faced dangerous levels of exposure to fine particle matter.
“Though it is mainly caused by the use of fossil fuels and which can provoke respiratory problems,’’ the agency reported.
Meanwhile, the report says levels of nitrogen oxides from cars and vehicles have not fallen sufficiently.
High nitrogen oxide levels in the Spanish capital of Madrid saw the City Hall introduce a series of measures aimed at limiting the use of cars in the city center. (Xinh