secondhand tobacco smoke at home , at work , out and about , in educational institutions or in public settings .
Lastly , certain chemicals used in European workplaces and released into the environment are carcinogenic and contribute to causing cancer . These include lead , arsenic , chromium , cadmium , acrylamide , pesticides , Bisphenol A and per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances ( PFAS ).
All forms of asbestos are well-known carcinogens , associated with mesothelioma and lung cancers , as well as laryngeal and ovarian cancers . While the EU banned asbestos in 2005 , it is still present in many buildings and infrastructure , leading to workers involved in renovation and demolition work being exposed to it .
What is the EU doing to address this serious risk ?
The EU ’ s Zero Pollution Action Plan is trying to reduce air and water pollution in the coming years .
The bloc has taken some tough measures on air pollution already , implementing the National Emissions reduction Commitments ( NEC ) Directive and the Ambient Air Quality Directive , which sets air quality standards for Europe .
The Chemical Strategy for Sustainability aims to ban the most harmful chemicals in products , including those that cause cancer , and to encourage the use of chemicals that are safe and sustainable .
On radon , the Basic Safety Standards Directive has introduced legally binding requirements to prevent exposure to natural radiation sources - in a revised version of the legislation . Set out in 2013 , it mandated EU Member States to establish national radon action plans by 2018 , which are still in force today .
Other EU actions include coordinating European efforts to tackle second-hand smoking and raising awareness of the dangers of UV rays , for instance staying safe in the sun and avoiding sunbeds and tanning booths .
� �
Global population will lose 17 billion life-years to air pollution , says shocking new research The fuzz with the buzz : How bees are helping Italy ' s Carabinieri police fight pollution
What can you do to avoid air pollution ?
It might sound obvious , but spending time away ( or living away ) from cities is a simple step you can take to limit the amount of pollution you inhale .
While cars and transport play a big part , it ’ s also the emissions linked to the built environment that cause increased particulate matter in the air . For instance , the heating of buildings , construction and the traffic related to it .
According to Statista , the most polluted cities in Europe are Sarajevo , Skopje , Zagreb , Belgrade and Athens . The least polluted cities are currently Helsinki , Reykjavik and Zurich .
With remote work on the rise ever since the COVID pandemic , and the mental benefits that arise from spending time in nature , there has never been a more opportune time to set up camp in a more rural area .