Key points from article :
A Guardian investigation found that 98% of Europeans breathe highly polluting air linked to 400,000 deaths a year.
The study by Utrecht University exposes Europe's alarming air pollution using satellite and ground data.
The worst hit country is North Macedonia, where almost two-thirds of people live in areas with more than four times the WHO guidelines for PM2.5.
Eastern Europe is significantly worse than western Europe, apart from Italy, where more than a third of those living in the Po valley and surrounding areas breathe air that is four times the WHO figure.
Researchers say the findings show that “nearly everyone in Europe is breathing unhealthy air”.
They call for urgent action to tackle the crisis, which is linked to a huge range of health problems, from heart and lung disease to cancer and diabetes.
Dr. Hanna Boogaard stressed the analysis's pivotal role in the debate on Europe's deadly air pollution.
The findings were presented in an interactive map and article published on the Guardian website.
