EPA - Ireland's Environment 2016 - An Assessment

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Figure 2.2 Impacts of Air Pollution (Source: EEA, 2014)
Eutrophying Substances
IMPACTS
AIR POLLUTANTS ANDGREENHOUSE GASES
NH3
NOX
NH3 NH3
NOX CO2
SO2
SO2
F-gases
BC
BC Primary PM
Primary PM
NMVOC
CH4
NOX
NO X
N2O
CO2
CO
NMVOC
NMVOC
PAH
HG
CH4 NOX
CO
SO2
Acidifying Substances Climate Forcers Ground-level Ozone Particulate Matter
Ecosystems Climate Human Health
25 Chapter 2: Air Quality and Transboundary Air Emissions
Finally, the clear links between air quality and its effects
on health need to be better communicated to the
public in a variety of ways, with the provision of more
localised information and access to air quality data being
paramount. This will allow the public to make informed
decisions about their health and it will also provide
a policy impetus to make the necessary changes at a
local and national level to maintain good air quality and
improve it in other circumstances. Ireland will also have
to have a greater awareness of the impact of agriculture
on air quality, in particular its contribution to emissions
of non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs)
and ammonia with the resultant influence on particulate
matter (EPA, 2015a). This is particularly important in
respect of the planned implementation of Food Wise
2025 which aims to significantly increase agricultural
output, in particular from the dairy sector. EPA funded
research on ammonia and on critical loads of atmospheric
nitrogen show an exceedance of acceptable levels across
many habitats due to emissions predominantly from the
agricultural sector1 ; EPA, 2013;
Kelleghan et al., 2014; EPA, in press).
1
Air Quality and Health
Air pollution and health impact: a very significant
issue in Europe
Under WHO2 and EU3 estimates, more than 400,000
premature deaths are attributable to poor air quality in
Europe annually, which elevates air quality to being a
policy priority. In Ireland the premature deaths attributable
to air pollution are estimated at 1,200 people. The most
common causes of premature death attributable to poor
air quality are strokes and heart disease. The economic
impact is also significant, with the increased costs of
healthcare and lost working days. A recent report by the
OECD concluded that the economic cost of air pollution
(in terms of global economic output) will, by 2060, equate
to US$330 per person per annum, or US$176 billion; and
the annual number of work days lost is estimated to rise
to 3.7 billion (OECD, 2016). What all of this means at
a human level is that, across Europe, tens of thousands
of people are losing 3–4 years of their lives because of
air pollution, years they could have been spending with
their families and communities in good health had they
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