133 / 234
129
Chapter 8: Environment, Health and Wellbeing
pulmonary disease or acute lower respiratory infections;
and 6% of deaths are due to lung cancer. The risk of heart
disease, which includes heart attacks, has particularly
strong and consistent associations with fine particulate
pollutants in air (e.g. PM2.5). During 2013, WHO further
concluded that outdoor air pollution exposes humans
to carcinogens, with the particulate matter component
of air pollution closely associated with an increased
incidence of cancer, especially lung cancer. As a result of
this, WHO declared “It is now clear that the toll imposed
by air pollution is much more serious than was previously
understood” (WHO, 2015).
As described in detail in Chapter 2, Ireland’s air quality
relative to our European counterparts is good. However,
values for particulate matter and ozone were above the
more stringent WHO air quality guidelines at some stations.
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were also above the EEA
estimated reference level. The EPA has called for movement
towards the adoption of these stricter WHO guidelines, in
particular for particulates and ozone, as the legal standards
across Europe and in Ireland. Adherence to these new
standards will deliver better health outcomes. There are
some specific exposures to air pollution in Ireland – especially
around cities and towns and mostly associated with traffic
emissions in cities and smoke from home heating in towns –
that do not benefit from current restrictions on the sale and
use of smoky fuels. In order to protect the health status of
vulnerable populations and locations, the planned national
ban on the sale of all ‘smoky coal’ in 2018 is a welcome
development.
Dioxins
Monitoring shows that dioxins remain at a
consistently low level in the Irish environment.
“Dioxins” is a collective term for over 200 chemical
compounds, of which 17 are considered to be of toxicological
significance. The toxic responses resulting from exposure
include skin effects, immunotoxicity and carcinogenicity,
as well as reproductive and developmental toxicity. These
compounds arise mainly as unintentional by-products of
incomplete or poorly controlled combustion (e.g. backyard
burning of waste) and from certain chemical processes.
To maintain surveillance of dioxins, the EPA conducts
surveys based on levels found in cows’ milk. This is
considered to be a particularly suitable matrix for assessing
dioxin presence in the environment, since cows tend to
graze over relatively large areas and these compounds
will, if present, concentrate in the fat content of the milk.
The most recent survey was undertaken in summer 2014
and follows previous studies carried out since 1995. These
studies have shown that concentrations of dioxins remain
at a consistently low level in the Irish environment.
As in earlier surveys, testing for dioxin-like polychlorinated
biphenyls (PCBs) was also included in this programme,
and some “marker” non-dioxin-like PCBs were added in
2012. All dioxin levels recorded in this survey are well below
legislative limits and compare favourably with those from
previous surveys and from other EU countries (EPA, 2015a).
Considering that there is strict regulation of industrial
combustion activities, one of the most significant risk factors
for elevated dioxin levels in Ireland is illegal burning of waste
in fields, gardens and domestic fireplaces (EPA, 2014).
Noise
According to
WHO, noise is the second greatest
environmental cause of health problems (after air quality).
Excessive noise can seriously harm human health, including
mental health, and interfere with people’s daily activities
at school, at work, at home and during leisure time. It can
disturb sleep, cause cardiovascular and psychophysiological
effects, reduce performance and provoke annoyance
responses and changes in social behaviour. According to
WHO, noise is the second greatest environmental cause of
health problems after air quality. A study commissioned by
the European Commission on the health implications of
road, railway and aircraft noise in the European Union (RIVM,
2014) found that exposure to noise in Europe contributes to:
n
about 910,000 additional prevalent cases of
hypertension
n
43,000 hospital admissions per year
n
at least 10,000 premature deaths per year related to
coronary heart disease and stroke.
Wellbeing of Future Generations (Wales) Act (2015)
During 2015, the Welsh Government passed a new law that aims to make the country more sustainable from
both an environmental and a social point of view, while maintaining a focus on prosperity. The Wellbeing of
Future Generations (Wales) Act (2015) is structured around seven “key goals”, which aim to build a prosperous
country that has a resilient environment and a clear global responsibility; to support a healthy population who
have equal opportunities, to foster strong communities and to promote the Welsh language. A Future Generations
Commissioner has been appointed and national indicators are being developed to track progress.
A fundamental aspect of this initiative is the clear intention to make Wales a better place to live for all citizens of the country
– including an unambiguous focus on environment, health and wellbeing. The “hard-wiring” of sustainable development
and wellbeing into governmental decision making is a bold step, and one that could offer a model for Ireland.