Fine particle air pollution killed nearly 240,000 people in the European Union in 2022, a five percent fall on the previous year, the European Environment Agency said in a report published Tuesday.

The agency estimated there were “at least 239,000” deaths attributable to exposure to above-recommended levels of PM2.5, the smallest particulate matter that can be inhaled and the most dangerous to human health.

The number of deaths was highest in Italy, Poland and Germany.

Across the continent the figure was down compared with 2021, when particulate matter, which can penetrate deep into the lungs, caused the premature deaths of 253,000 people.