From Normandy to Vaucluse via Haute-Savoie, several French departments have been experiencing an episode of fine particle pollution due to winter combustion since Tuesday, February 18.
In the east of the country, the Haute-Savoie prefecture announced "an episode of atmospheric pollution of the +combustion+ type (fine particles PM10 and nitrogen dioxide NO³)" in the Arve Valley.
Several measures are therefore in force, including the ban on using individual wood-fired heaters for supplementary or recreational use or the reduction of the speed limit by 20 km/h.
In Vaucluse further south, the same observation is made: "air quality is gradually deteriorating, mainly due to fine particle emissions from wood heating, road traffic and industrial activity", writes the prefecture of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur.
The daily information-recommendation threshold was therefore triggered on Tuesday and the alert level will be triggered on Wednesday, the prefecture added.
Finally, at the other end of France, in Normandy, a red alert is in effect, according to Atmo Normandie, on a strip going from Cherbourg to Evreux.
The information and recommendation threshold is the level beyond which short-term exposure presents a risk to the health of particularly sensitive people and is accompanied by recommendations to reduce certain emissions.
The alert threshold is the level beyond which short-term exposure presents a risk to the entire population and which justifies the implementation of restrictive emergency measures.
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