Attica store owners are not only concerned over their loss of revenue due to heavy construction. They are also worried about the threat to their health from the dust and floating particles of debris these works create.

Scientists have attributed the rise in cardiovascular diseases and lung cancer to floating particles, while it has also been proven that they cause abnormalities in the development of children’s respiratory systems and provoke asthma.

Air pollution is also a prime suspect in the increase in premature births and in male reproductive problems. According to some findings, floating particles are responsible for 240,000 deaths annually in Europe.