Czech cities Karviná, Ostrava and Havířov among most polluted in EU, causing early deaths

Three Czech cities in the Moravian-Silesian are among the top ten in the European Union in which air pollution causes deaths, according to a study by The Lancet Planetary Health. The death in the cities of Karviná, Ostrava and Haviřov are attributable to high levels PM2.5 particulate matter, which the study tested for in more than a thousand cities.

The highest PM2.5 mortality burden was estimated for cities in the Po Valley (northern Italy), Poland, and the Czech Republic. The highest NO2 mortality burden was estimated for large cities and capital cities in western and southern Europe, led by Madrid. Karviná is third in Europe (behind the Italian cities of Brescia and Bergamo) while Ostrava ranks sixth and Haviřov tenth. Among the top ten are Polish towns near the Czech border such as Rybnik and Jastrzebie.