Clean Air – Less Cancer: How Good Air Quality Supports Disease Prevention

Air pollution is considered the greatest environment-related health risk worldwide. In Germany, pollution levels are significant and increase the risk of developing respiratory and cardiovascular conditions or cancer. In 2023 alone, around 21,500 people died as a result of exposure to particulate matter. The new EU Ambient Air Quality Directive (AAQD) sets out stricter limit values for key air pollutants from 2030 onwards, as well as more comprehensive monitoring of air quality. Germany must incorporate the new directive into the Federal Immission Control Act (Bundes-Immissionsschutzgesetz) by December 2026.

At the parliamentary breakfast event ‘Clean Air – Less Cancer: How Good Air Quality Supports Disease Prevention’, held under the patronage of Sascha van Beek, Member of the Bundestag, approaches for the effective implementation of the EU AAQD were discussed, drawing on the latest research findings on air pollution and cancer prevention. On 7 October 2026, 27 participants from the political arena, federal ministries, government agencies, and academia attended the event at the invitation of the Helmholtz Forum Earth and Environment and the German Cancer Research Centre (DKFZ), which took place at the Jakob-Kaiser-Haus in the German Bundestag.

Marie Heidenreich (Head of the Helmholtz Forum Earth and Environment) welcomed the participants and presented the topics of the parliamentary breakfast, as well as the factsheet prepared for the event (in German). She also referred to the Helmholtz Forum Earth and Environment’s ACT-AQ project, in which five Helmholtz Centers are working together with partners from the Leibniz Association and the Max Planck Society to consolidate the current state of research on air pollutants, close existing gaps in knowledge and provide scientific support for the implementation of the EU AAQD in Germany.

Patron Sascha van Beek, Member of the German Bundestag, then welcomed the participants. As a member of the German Bundestag’s Health Committee, he identified air pollution as one of the greatest environmental burdens for which politicians must take responsibility: “Our benchmark should be to achieve genuine improvements in air quality.” With regard to the role of science, he emphasized that researchers need to work closely together with politicians and industry representatives to develop solutions.

The welcome address was followed by three keynote presentations:

Prof. Dr. Anke Nölscher from the Jülich Research Centre gave a keynote presentation on the formation of key air pollutants and current challenges for air quality. She explained the sources of nitrogen oxides and particulate matter, as well as the formation of ozone. She also addressed the cross-border transport of particulate matter and high ozone levels during heatwaves. As a further challenge, she highlighted the link between certain particles and adverse health effects.

As head of the DKFZ Cancer Information Service, which provides free, scientifically grounded and independent information on all aspects of cancer, Dr. Susanne Weg-Remers spoke about air pollution as a cancer risk. She emphasized that air pollutants also cause other diseases and affect people in both urban and rural areas. As individuals have only limited control over their exposure, she called for the creation of health-promoting conditions that reduce risks regardless of individual behavior.

Dr. Volker Matthias of the Helmholtz Center Hereon presented the projected air pollutant emissions for various sectors through 2050 in a talk titled “Zero Pollution 2050: Are We on the Right Track?” He explained how the electrification of transportation and heating systems in the building sector can contribute to significant reductions in emissions. At the same time, he highlighted areas where pollution remains a significant issue despite this progress—such as tire wear from road traffic, potential additional ammonia emissions from new marine fuels, and ultrafine particles from aviation.

The three researchers concluded with key policy options for the federal government. These include embedding air pollution control in a cross-ministerial, health-oriented framework; implementing the EU AAQD at an early stage; and further reducing emissions in the transportation, energy, building, and agricultural sectors.

The presentations were followed by a lively discussion among members of the Bundestag, Bundestag staff, the researchers, and representatives from federal ministries and government agencies. The discussion focused on innovations in the transportation sector aimed at further reducing emissions from road, water, and air traffic; the creation of appropriate framework conditions for health protection; and the implementation of comprehensive monitoring programs to strengthen the evidence base and specifically reduce the release of air pollutants harmful to health. Dr. Alexandra Schneider, deputy director of the Institute of Epidemiology at Helmholtz Center Munich, emphasized that further studies are needed on the harmful effects of ultrafine particles, particularly in light of the increased concentrations of air pollutants during heat waves. With regard to the implementation of the EU AAQD in the Federal Immission Control Act, the discussion also highlighted how emission reductions can go hand in hand with economic development—for example by preventing sickness-related absences and the associated losses in production.

In his closing remarks, Sascha van Beek, Member of the Bundestag, thanked the participants and emphasized that measures to improve air quality should focus on areas where they can deliver the greatest public health benefits. At the same time, he stressed that economic interests should be taken into account. He also pointed out the need for further research on health effects of air pollutants and underscored the importance of raising public awareness of these issues.

You can find the accompanying factsheet here (in German).