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Environment and Health
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harmful to human health. Their tiny
size means that they can pass through
the skin and the blood–brain barrier,
and may be able to reach internal
organs not usually accessible to bulk
materials. International bodies such
as the EU Scientific Committee on
Emerging and Newly Identified
Health Risks (SCENIHR) are working
to assess the risks associated with
nanomaterials and how best to
manage their manufacture and use.
Nanotechnology has been identified
as a focus for future economic
development in Ireland, therefore it
is important that the potential health
or environmental impacts of these
materials be understood. Research is
under way in University College Dublin
with funding from EPA and other
organisations to assess whether the
unique properties of nanomaterials
present additional concerns not yet
addressed, and to develop strategies
to address these concerns in a safe
and responsible manner.
Electromagnetic Radiation
Electromagnetic (EM) radiation
is a non-ionising form of energy
generated by electrical charges or
magnetic fields. Man-made EM fields
are generated every time we turn on
a light switch or use a mobile phone.
Sources of EM radiation include
domestic appliances, high-voltage
power lines and mobile phone masts.
As technology advances, there is
a corresponding increase in the
number of sources of EM radiation,
leading to growing public concern
that exposure could have adverse
effects on health.
Given their widespread use, mobile
phones are a particular area of public
concern. The European Union has
initiated the MOBI-KIDS project to
assess the potential associations
between use of communication
devices and other environmental
risk factors and brain tumours in
young people. The EEA notes that
although evidence of health effects
from EM fields is insubstantial, there
is disagreement in the scientific
community. Using a precautionary
approach, the EEA advises that
people, especially children, should
minimise time with a handset placed
against the head and use hands-free
devices and texting instead.
As a result, the Government
appointed an expert group to
examine the health effects of EM
fields. This group concluded that
no adverse short- or long-term
health effects have been found
from exposure to the EM radiation
produced by mobile phones and
base station transmitters (DCMNR,
2007). The World Health Organisation
established the International
EMF project to assess health and
environmental effects of EM
radiation. The results to date also
showed no evidence that exposure
to low-level EM fields is harmful to
human health.
Waste
Many types of waste materials
have the potential to affect human
health adversely through direct
toxic effects or through the spread
of infectious disease. For this
reason regulated systems of waste
collection, treatment and disposal
are in place throughout the country
for municipal, industrial and clinical
waste. In 2010, 288 thousand tonnes
of hazardous waste was managed
through recovery, disposal in Ireland
or export for treatment in other
countries. Overall, the amount of
hazardous waste managed is
static or declining, and amounts
of unreported hazardous waste are
very likely to have decreased due
to implementation of legislation
(on waste electrical and electronic
equipment (WEEE), batteries and
end-of-life vehicles), the increase in
number of civic amenity sites and the
effects of the economic downturn.
Some harmful waste materials do
not change or degrade with time and
thus pose a perpetual risk to human
health. There are a number of sites
around the country where asbestos,
mining and other such industrial
wastes were deposited. Facility
operators, landowners and regulators
(including local authorities and the
EPA) need to identify and carefully
manage these sites into the future
to minimise the risk to health.
Although large generators of
hazardous waste are regulated,
households, small businesses and
farms also generate quantities
of hazardous waste such as
batteries, WEEE, solvent-based
paints, pesticides and waste oils.
Inappropriate disposal of these
materials with domestic waste
or down the drain may pose a
risk to human health.
Environmental
Regulation and
Public Health
There is considerable knowledge
of the risks posed to human
health by a variety of chemical
and microbiological pollutants.
For these pollutants, organisations
such as the WHO have established
levels in the environment that are
considered safe. For some pollutants,
for example coliform contamination
of drinking water, this level is zero.
Regulation of emissions to the
environment is designed to ensure
that levels of these pollutants in the
ambient environment do not exceed
those safe limits.
In Ireland, regulation of activities
that pose a threat to human health
and the environment is carried
out by setting limits on all relevant
emissions. These limits take account
of ambient conditions and are based
on the best scientific knowledge
of what constitutes harm. Most
standards are agreed within the EU,
based on advice and guidelines from
the WHO in many cases. In general,
standards are set at levels that