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

Ireland’s Environment – An Integrated Assessment 2020 6. Air Quality Research in Ireland Since 2016, the EPA has invested €3.3 million in 17 new research projects in the air evidence area. The EPA has funded 17 new research projects relevant to the air area since 2016; a commitment of €3.3 million. Air Science is a theme under the Climate Research Pillar of the EPA Research Programme 2014- 2020 (a selected example is given in Topic Box 3.4). EPA-funded research projects 3 include research on: n addressing conflicts of climate and air pollution policy n residential solid fuel use in Ireland n eco-driving n effects of air pollution on terrestrial ecosystems. Topic Box 3.4 AEROSOURCE Research Project Evidence from the UK (Defra, 2017) suggests that the contribution of wood burning to PM 2.5 levels is increasing across both urban and rural areas. This in turn is leading to increased population exposure to particulate matter pollution. From an Irish research point of view, the evidence to date provided from the EPA-funded AEROSOURCE project (EPA, 2019b) suggests that there is a considerable contribution to particulate matter from residential solid fuel use in Dublin. This research work, which is being conducted by the National University of Ireland Galway, involves examining the various sources that contribute to poor air quality, in particular those sectors that contribute to particulate matter levels. The process, known as source apportionment, involves the use of advanced measurement and assessment techniques to estimate the various source contributions at representative rural and urban locations. The outputs from this research will give a greater understanding of the dominant sources of particulate matter air pollution in Ireland. This will provide Irish policymakers with evidence that can be used to tackle the problem of particulate matter in a more focused manner. 3 More information on these projects is available from http://www.epa.ie/researchandeducation/research/. Air-related EPA research reports are available on the EPA website: http://www.epa.ie/pubs/reports/research/air/. 7. Conclusions Air Quality and Health Air pollution is the single largest environmental health risk in Europe (EEA, 2020c). Latest figures for Ireland from the EEA attribute in excess of 1300 premature deaths annually to poor air quality. New evidence suggests that there are more extensive air quality issues than previously thought. It is now time to tackle the three key issues that have a negative impact on air quality in Ireland: emissions from the burning of solid fuels in our homes, transport emissions from vehicles in urban areas and ammonia emissions from agriculture. Monitoring As a result of the provision of additional data from the National Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Programme, a wider assessment of the state of Ireland’s air quality continues to take place. Additional monitoring and modelling assessments are confirming previous EPA early warnings about higher-than-acceptable levels of nitrogen dioxide in our cities, particulate matter levels throughout the country, and ozone during summer time. To have a positive impact on air quality, responses at individual, local, national and EU levels are required. Events linked to the impacts of transboundary air pollution on the Irish air mass continue to occur on an annual basis. Of concern from a transboundary point of view are continental ozone and particulate matter events, which occur most often during spring and summer. Cohesive EU-level coordinated action is required to tackle the issue of ozone levels throughout the EU. Nitrogen dioxide With regard to nitrogen dioxide levels in our cities and towns, action is required to reduce levels in Dublin to comply with the EU limit value. Additional indicative diffusion tube campaigns on nitrogen dioxide levels in other Irish cities indicate some areas of elevated concentrations close to busy streets. To reduce levels of nitrogen dioxide, local authorities will prepare and implement an air quality plan for Dublin. Measures could include those used in other European cities, such as promoting the use of public transport, cycling and walking, and restricting more polluting vehicles from central areas. The announcement that Dublin has become the first Irish city to sign up to the WHO Breathe Life campaign, which entails making a commitment to meeting the WHO guideline values by 2030 (Breathe Life, 2020), is a positive step. 78