Impact of the Grand Paris low-emission zone on health

Air pollution is currently the most significant environmental determinant of population health. Its numerous health effects represent a substantial public health burden, particularly in terms of cardiovascular disease, with well-documented socio-economic inequalities. This has led, in Europe and in France, to the implementation of public policies aimed at reducing certain emissions in order to sustainably lower air pollutant levels. One major policy measure is the establishment of Low Emission Zones (LEZs). In France, the first LEZ was implemented in the Paris region between 2016 and 2019. However, the effectiveness of these measures on health outcomes remains poorly documented, as do their implications in terms of equity. To our knowledge, no study has examined these impacts using individual-level observational data, which allow for the control of numerous confounding factors and the identification of how potential benefits are distributed across the socio-economic gradient.

In this project, we will investigate the impact of these measures on cardiovascular diseases (the second leading cause of death in France) using data from the Constances cohort, with exposure data on particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide estimated at a fine spatial resolution using Airparif data, and applying innovative epidemiological methods.

Assessing the benefits associated with the implementation of LEZs—one of the main traffic-related air pollution control policies in France and Europe—will help ensure that efforts to reduce pollution levels meet their stated objectives and will inform the implementation of other LEZs in different contexts.