Human Ecology Department Arehna Workshop Health and Mobility Kos, 3-5 May, 2003 Health and Mobility in Flanders (Belgium) Pascal Lammar and Luc Hens Human Ecology Department Vrije Universiteit Brussel Laarbeeklaan 103, B-1090 Brussels, Belgium [T] [F] [E] [W]

Human Ecology Department Flanders (Belgium) General characteristics : Flanders = Northern Belgium Population: inhabitants Population density: 440 persons/km 2 Surface area: km 2 Road density: 5020 m/km 2 Railway density: 127 m/km 2 Waterway density: 80 m/km 2

Human Ecology Department Environmental pressures (1) Trend% change emissions ( ) Trend% change emissions ( ) 1. Greenhouse gases CO 2  +13 (total)  +24 (traffic)  +24 (traffic) CH 4  -2 (total) CH 4  -2 (total)  +29 (traffic) N 2 O  +8 (total) N 2 O  +8 (total)  +163 (traffic)

Human Ecology Department Environmental pressures (2) Trend % Period Trend % Period change emissions change emissions 2. Acidification SO 2  -54 (total) NO x  -4 (total) NO x  -4 (total) Total acidifying emissions  -36 (total)  -1 (traffic)  -1 (traffic) Ground-level ozone O 3  +4/year (background concentration)

Human Ecology Department Environmental pressures (3) Trend % Period change emissions change emissions 4. VOCBenzene  PAHBaP  Total PAH 

Human Ecology Department Environmental pressures (4) Trend % Period Trend % Period of seriously affected people of seriously affected people 6. Noise Road traffic  Air traffic  Air traffic  Railway traffic  Railway traffic 

Human Ecology Department Health effects (1) Pollutant Health effect Health impact in Flanders Benzene cancer (leukaemia) 36 extra leukaemia cases a year BaP cancer 7 extra cancer deaths a year Ozone (O 3 ) mortality 900 extra deaths a year hospital admissions 800 a year hospital admissions 800 a year asthma attacks1 million a year asthma attacks1 million a year symptom days24 million a year symptom days24 million a year

Human Ecology Department Health effects (2) Pollutant Health effect Health impact in Flanders PM10mortalityat least 1095 extra deaths a year life years lostone healthy life year a person is lost at lifetime exposure Noisepotential awakenings a night potentially seriously > people affected people (mental health effects, possibly increased blood pressure and cardiovascular diseases)

Human Ecology Department Health effects (3) Pollutant Health effect Health impact in Flanders PM10, NO 2 Chronic mortality lost life years and SO 2 Heart failure260 cases Chronic bronchitis1300 cases Lower respiratory complaints cases Coughing cases Restricted activity days

Human Ecology Department Most important health challenges 1. Particulate matter (PM10) concentrations 2. Regional ozone concentrations (summer smog) 3. Noise

Human Ecology Department Arehna Workshop Health and Mobility Kos, 3-5 May, 2003 Health and Mobility in Flanders (Belgium) Pascal Lammar and Luc Hens Human Ecology Department Vrije Universiteit Brussel Laarbeeklaan 103, B-1090 Brussels, Belgium [T] [F] [E] [W]