Due to its low rating of PM2.5 over the last few years, there would not be any profound effects of living in the city. However, in 2019 it still came in at a moderate rating for 10 months out of the year. As such it could possibly put certain people at risk on days when the levels of pollution are higher, particularly if there is also a high pollen count in combination with air pollution. Groups of people such as the young and elderly may find themselves predisposed to the development of respiratory infections, as well as irritation to the mouth, nose and eyes. Those with compromised immune systems or preexisting health conditions may find that breathing elevated levels of PM10 or PM2.5 may trigger off respiratory conditions such as asthma attacks or bronchitis, ailments that fall under the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) bracket.
Higher levels of PM2.5, due to their extremely small size, have the ability to penetrate deep into the tissues of the lungs where they can accumulate, causing lung cancer, or spread via circulatory system to other parts of the body, which can cause further health issues such as an increase in the risk of heart attacks or other cardiac events, both short term and chronic (long term). It has been stated that living in Paris is akin to ‘smoking up to 183 cigarettes a year’. However, these statements seem to focus mainly on readings taken in the summer months, when tourism is extremely high. And as such living in Paris does not present such a drastic risk to health, as long as appropriate measures are taken to limit oneself to pollution on days when haze and smog are more prominent, something which can be done with relative ease by checking the Paris air quality map available on the IQAir website, or by using the AirVisual app to gauge whether or not certain days are safe to go out on.