Ireland's State of the Environment Report 2024

47 Chapter 2: Air In Ireland, research has shown that the dominant sources of particulate matter from human activities are solid fuels used in home heating, transport and agricultural activities that lead to the formation of secondary particulate matter (Ovadnevaite et al. , 2021). Peat is a significant contributor to particulate matter in our air (Ovadnevaite et al. , 2021). Moreover, EPA-funded research estimates that around 90% of sod turf comes from non-traded sources (informal markets, gifted or harvested from own land) as opposed to formal traded sources (supermarkets, garages or other companies that specialise in supplying fuel), meaning that significant air pollution will remain in some areas of the country, affecting householders and those in the locality (Eakins et al. , 2022). A range of policy measures is needed to encourage the transition away from using peat and other 6 The EPA’s Air Quality Index for Health indicates the level of air quality being recorded at each monitoring station and what effect it might have on human health. The index provides a sliding scale from 1 to 10, where 10 indicates very poor air quality and 1-3 indicates good air quality. solid fuels towards more sustainable alternatives. An examination of the implementation of policy measures in other countries suggests that measures to tackle solid fuel use are most effective when implemented as a suite of supportive interventions (Eakins et al. , 2022). The annual average levels of PM 2.5 from 2010 to 2023 are displayed in Figure 2.12. Annual average levels in Ireland have remained below the EU annual limit value since 2010. However, they did not meet the 2021 WHO air quality guideline limits (5 μg/m 3 in all zones). During winter, spikes of short duration occur across the monitoring network, particularly on still, cold evenings. These spikes can move the Air Quality Index for Health 6 at monitoring stations to a poor or very poor status, indicating the localised impacts of air pollution levels. Figure 2.12  Annual mean levels of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) 2010-2023 (μg/m 3 ). Annual average levels across monitoring stations in zones A, B, C and D ˜ Zone A average ˜ Zone B average ˜ Zone C average ˜ Zone D average - - - EU annual limit value - - - WHO Air Quality Guideline 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 Year ug/m 3 WHO Air Quality Guideline EU annual limit guideline