Each of us breathes nearly 15,000 litres of air every day. In other words, air quality is a particularly crucial issue. However, according to WHO, outside air pollution causes 4.2 million premature deaths worldwide each year. The figure is estimated to be at least 48,000 in France.
While emissions and concentrations of sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide, certain volatile organic compounds and lead have significantly decreased in the last twenty years, concentrations of nitrogen dioxide and PM10 (mainly transport, energy and agriculture related), as well as tropospheric ozone, remain cause for concern. The consequences are both health-related (respiratory, cardiovascular and neurological problems) and environmental (lost agricultural yields, deteriorating buildings, eutrophic environments, damage to plant life, etc.).
The global market for air quality control and treatment systems is expected to increase from USD 9.7 billion in 2016 to 12.8 billion in 2020 (cf. instruments for analysis, measurement, control and monitoring, and equipments for filtration, exhaust ventilation, purification and dust removal). Solutions with reduced environmental impact (building materials, cleaning products, etc.) are also booming.
