“Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) values on Avenida da Liberdade showed an annual average of 45 µg/m3 (micrograms per cubic meter), a concentration about 12.5% higher than the maximum value of 40 µg/m3 required in national legislation (Decree-Law nº 102/2010) and the European Air Quality Directive, and with a few days (two) exceeding an average concentration of 200 µg/m3”, according to ZERO – Associação Sistemas Terrestre Sustentável.

The data results from ZERO's work to monitor air quality in Lisbon, through the concentration of pollutants measured at air quality monitoring stations that are managed by the Commission for Coordination and Regional Development of Lisbon and Tagus Valley (CCDR-LVT), with information provided by the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA).

“ZERO will now request the validation of the data and will later communicate the non-compliance to the European Commission”, informs the environmentalist association, noting that, “in recent years, there have been numerous situations of non-compliance with minimum air quality values required by law in different regions of the country”.

In this context, the European Court of Justice already has a complaint against Portugal (case C-220/22), “which could imply the payment of a substantial fine by the country”, indicates ZERO.

According to the association, air pollution in Portugal "is responsible for the premature death of around six thousand people every year", being associated with the emergence or worsening of diseases such as strokes, heart problems, lung cancer and respiratory diseases.