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Ireland’s Environment – An Assessment 2016
34
Outlook for Air Quality in
Ireland
Reducing particulate matter in air is a key health
target that will need wide engagement and sector
targets for transport, energy and agriculture
Air quality in Ireland is generally of an acceptable standard.
Currently, we are not in exceedance of any EU legislative
or target values. However, when compared with the
more stringent WHO guideline values and EEA reference
level values, ozone, particulate matter and PAHs emerge
as pollutants of concern in the short term, while NO
2
is
expected to increase as our road networks become more
congested. With regard to PM
2.5
, under the National
Exposure Reduction Target (NERT) Ireland is obliged to
reduce annual average PM
2.5
levels by 10% before 2020
from a baseline level. This will prove challenging if activity
in a number of sectors increases without any consideration
of abatement or alternatives.
Figure 2.8
Expected Increase in NO
2
(Source: EPA)
NO
2
is expected to increase
as our road networks become
more congested.
NO
2
Continuing emissions from domestic solid fuel use are
contributing to high levels of particulate matter and PAHs
in villages, towns and cities. The nationwide ban on smoky
coal due in 2018 will have an impact on levels of particulate
matter, particularly in rural towns and villages. However,
there is a need for regulation of solid fuel beyond coal. Peat
burning is still prevalent in many parts of the country – most
particularly in rural areas – and contributes significantly
in terms of particulates. Wood and peat burning is
emerging as a potentially significant contributor to PAH
and particulate matter levels in Ireland, along with a wide
variety of other solid fuel products that are on the market.
In the case of industry there are mitigation options available,
particularly through the use of electrostatic precipitators,
for example, and in the residential sector there are non-
combustion options for heating.
Essential to the goal of improving our air quality will be
a shift for Irish consumers from solid fuel to cleaner fuel
alternatives, along with an awareness of the impact our
choice of fuel for home heating has on the air quality and
the impacts on our locality.
Incentives for people to use alternatives should continue to
be encouraged at a national level.
Figure 2.9
Good Air Quality (Source: EPA)
Good air quality means
we have to...
Consider ammonia emissions
in the drive for increased
agricultural production
Move from solid fuel to cleaner
fuel alternatives to heat our
homes in order to minimise
particulate emissions
Develop sustainable transport
solutions as traffic emissions
from NO
2
are expected to increase
as our road networks become
more congested