EPA - Ireland's Environment, An Integrated Assessment - 2020

Chapter 14: Environment, Health and Wellbeing In Ireland, most recent data indicate that 14.4 per cent of the urban population (equivalent to about 430,000 people, based on the Central Statistics Office 2016 census) are exposed to road noise levels above the Environmental Noise Directive (2002/49/EC) guideline values (EEA, 2019b). This indicates that a substantial portion of the population may be experiencing some adverse effects on health and wellbeing caused by noise. Transport- related noise impact is addressed in Ireland through the implementation of the Environmental Noise Directive, and Chapter 4 includes a more detailed overview of the requirements under that Directive and information on what is currently being done to tackle environmental noise. From a human health and wellbeing perspective, the issue of environmental noise requires action on two fronts: firstly, the proactive management of noise that is likely to have a significant negative impact on health and wellbeing; and, secondly, the preservation and increased provision and accessibility to designated quiet areas, particularly in areas with a high population density. These are areas that are ‘largely undisturbed by noise from traffic, industry or recreational activities’ (EEA, 2014). Quiet areas are important in providing a haven of natural soundscape for citizens, particularly in urban areas, as well as benefiting biodiversity (EEA, 2014). Public parks and other green and blue spaces often represent more tranquil environments that not only provide a buffer against excessive urban noise but also provide a multitude of additional benefits that can improve our health and wellbeing, e.g. attenuating air pollution, reducing flood risk, reducing excessive temperatures. Objective 65 of the government’s National Planning Framework 2040 recognises environmental noise and proposes measures to more proactively manage noise given the anticipated urban growth (particularly residential) in the coming years. Effective implementation of this objective through national noise planning guidance and noise action plans, coupled with continued implementation of the Environmental Noise Directive, will be essential if meaningful progress is to be made in reducing the population’s exposure to excessive environmental noise. Chemicals in the Environment People are chronically exposed to a multitude of environmental chemicals in their everyday lives from various sources and through multiple pathways posing potential risks to their health and their environment. Today, many chemicals play a hugely beneficial role in our lives, e.g. medicines for treating illnesses, pesticides and herbicides used in agriculture, solvents used in the electronics industry, and substances used as flame retardants in furnishings. However, when chemicals end up in the wrong products or places, including our environment, they can cause harm. Currently, there are approximately 35,000 chemicals either manufactured in or imported into the EU in quantities greater than 1 tonne per year. Of these, about 60 per cent are considered, to some degree, to pose potential risks to human health and/ or the environment. In general, there is limited knowledge of the nature and extent of the effects of chemical pollution on human health and the environment, and it has been suggested that the contribution of chemical pollution to the global burden of disease is likely to be underestimated (Landrigan et al. , 2017). With projected increases in the production of chemicals, continued emissions of hazardous and persistent chemicals and increased use of pharmaceuticals because of an ageing population, it is deemed unlikely that the burden chemicals put on health and the environment will decrease in the near future (EEA, 2019b). People are chronically exposed to a multitude of chemicals in their everyday lives from various sources and through multiple pathways, e.g. consumption of contaminated food or water, breathing polluted air and dust, and direct contact with certain materials. The categories of chemicals to which the EU is paying particular attention are outlined in Topic Box 14.4. 367