According to latest reports, parts of Dublin city centre are likely to breach EU and World Health Organisation guidelines for air quality in 2019, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
Latest reports suggest that parts of Dublin city centre are likely to breach EU and World Health Organisation guidelines for air quality in 2019, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. As published in the report, almost 1,200 people are prematurely dying each year in Ireland due to poor air quality despite the country meeting EU air quality standards.
Why is this happening?
Vehicle emissions and particles from burning solid fuels (especially in urban areas) are the primary source of pollutants that are impacting the air quality all over the world. This is an overall effect of increasing carbon emissions that are flowing into the air around us. An index from the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago described air pollution as a more significant threat to human lives than war when it was published last year.
What are the health implications and risks?
Unfortunately, the health implications are quite substantial with poor air quality causing numerous short-term effects including, headaches, breathing problems and irritation to eyes. In terms of long-term health effects, they include, asthma and cardiovascular disease. Furthermore, according to the Air Quality in Ireland report 2018 by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published recently, particulate matter (PM) is the pollutant responsible for premature deaths in Ireland. 2016 was the last time premature deaths were estimated when 538,014 people died from the same cause across the EU that year according to thejournal.ie. Nitrogen dioxide gets released into the air from the burning of fuel. It can irritate the nose and throat and can lead to coughing, wheezing or difficulty breathing. Critically, air quality monitoring is needed in all areas around the world to improve on recent worldwide figures of poor air quality. Without professional measurement of air quality, people are at risk of minor or major health problems that can and should be avoided. Only this week and quite coincidentally, on Construction Safety Week, the Irish Times reported how construction workers are not protecting themselves against dust particles and thus leaving themselves at risk of developing cancers in the future.
How Sonitus Systems can help
Air quality monitoring is one step in understanding the issues and being able to respond to it but improving air quality can only be achieved by clean transport systems, low emission zones and placing restrictions on solid fuel use systems. The report stated that transport accounts for 20% of Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions and the best option for home heating is solar, wind and heat technology. Urban areas are most at risk of the higher emissions, especially around the M50. However, in smaller towns during winter they are at risk of bad air quality due to the increase in fires for heating homes. This has impacted the sale of black coal in some areas where it has been banned altogether.
Sonitus Systems can offer air quality monitoring effectively with reliable equipment, automated online systems and expert advice and service. The equipment has been developed to save time, save on resources and to simplify the air monitoring process with efficiency and easy to access online reporting.
Get in touch with us for more details on air quality monitoring.
Read the full report here on Air Quality in Ireland