More than 1,500 people a year die prematurely in Ireland because of poor air quality, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
A new report shows we’ve repeatedly breached air pollution standards set by the World Health Organisation. The EPA report shows our home heating habits and over-reliance on cars are the main things compromising air quality.
While Ireland was within legal EU limits last year, we failed to meet stricter WHO limits – and the EPA are calling on the government to introduce stricter standards.
One pollutant that broke WHO rules is particle matter, which poses a risk to peoples health and can lead to respiratory diseases like asthma.
Traditional fossil fuel burning is the main cause of air pollution – with increasing evidence that farming is a large contributor.
The new Ambient Air Monitoring Programme is also launching today, which aims to provide a 48 hour air-quality forecast to highlight the issue and problem areas.
