The latest Mal’aria (‘Bad air’) report from environmental watchdog Legambiente found that 25 of 98 Italian cities monitored had exceeded the legal threshold for coarse particulate matter (PM10) in 2024 – up from 18 cities in 2023.
Italy’s emission limit is currently set at a maximum of 35 days a year with a daily average of over 50 micrograms of PM10 per cubic metre.
Legambiente found that average PM10 levels had exceeded the 50-microgram limit on a total of 70 days in Frosinone, giving the Lazio city the title of Italy’s ‘smog capital’ for the second consecutive year.
Lombardy’s capital, Milan, ranked just behind Frosinone, as it exceeded legal levels of PM10 on 68 days.
The top three was completed by Verona, in Italy’s Veneto region, with 66 days.
Other cities experiencing severe pollution included Vicenza (64 days), Padua (61) and Venice (61).
Turin, Brescia, Monza, Naples and Cremona were also found to have worrying levels of PM10 pollution, with violations ranging from 52 to 58 days. You can find a full list of cities below.
Legambiente warned that high levels of PM10 pose serious health risks to residents.
PM10, which comes from various sources, including vehicle emissions, industrial processes and construction activities, is small enough to be inhaled into the lungs, where it can cause a range of health problems, particularly for people with existing respiratory conditions such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Long-term exposure to high levels of PM10 has also been linked to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, as well as an increased risk of lung cancer.
The Legambiente report also highlighted that the Po Valley area, which includes cities like Milan, Turin, Verona and Vicenza, remains the most polluted region in the country.
The combination of intense industrial activity, high population density and limited air circulation all contribute to persistently high pollution levels in the area, especially in the wintertime, when heating emissions add to the problem, according to the report.
“Smog is not an episodic phenomenon,” Andrea Minutolo, scientific director of Legambiente said.
“It is a structural issue aggravated by the [Po Valley] region's geography, and it's affecting public health and the economy.”
Legambiente also raised concerns about Italy's preparedness for the enforcement of new air quality rules across the EU from January 1st, 2030.
The watchdog said that, if current pollution levels persist, at least 70 Italian cities will exceed the new EU limit for PM10 – 20 micrograms per cubic metre.
According to Legambiente, air pollution is responsible for approximately 50,000 premature deaths each year in Italy.
Here’s a list of all the Italian cities that violated clean air ordinances by exceeding PM10 emission limits on more than 35 days in 2024.
Frosinone - 70 days over the limit
Milan - 68 days
Verona - 66 days
Vicenza - 64 days
Padua - 61 days
Venice - 61 days
Cremona - 57 days
Naples - 57 days
Rovigo - 57 days
Turin - 55 days
Monza - 54 days
Treviso - 53 days
Modena - 52 days
Brescia - 51 days
Mantua - 50 days
Lodi - 49 days
Pavia - 47 days
Catania - 46 days
Bergamo - 40 days
Piacenza - 40 days
Rimini - 40 days
Terni - 39 days
Ferrara - 38 days
Asti - 37 days
Ravenna - 37 days
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