Air

The World Health Organization has described air pollution as the world's ‘single biggest environmental health risk’.

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Air Quality Index for Health

See what air quality is like in your locality and follow the associated health advice.

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Follow our LIFE EMERALD Project

This project objective is to forecast national 3-day air quality, near real-time mapping of air pollutants throughout the country and creating historical maps of air pollutants.

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What can you do about air quality?

Change how you heat your home Find out about the LIFE EMERALD forecasting project Change your transport choices
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Air quality in Ireland

Air quality and you

What do you need to know about air quality?

What's happening with air quality?

Air quality in Ireland is generally good however there are localised issues in some of our cities, towns and villages. There was an exceedance of the EU annual average legal limit values in 2019 at one urban traffic station in Dublin due to pollution from transport. Ireland was also above World Health Organization air quality guidelines at 33 monitoring sites across the country – mostly due to the burning of solid fuel in our cities, towns and villages. Ireland was above the European Environment Agency reference level for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), a toxic chemical, at 4 monitoring sites due to the burning of solid fuel.

What are the problem pollutants?

Particulate matter from the burning of solid fuel – is estimated to cause 1,300 premature deaths per year. Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) from transport emissions is polluting our urban areas. Indications are that we will exceed EU limit values for NO2 at further monitoring stations in the future. 

 

Air Quality Index for Health

Air pollutants

Air quality standards

 

What's being done?

traffic jam at night with exhaust fumes

To tackle the problem of particulate matter:

We as a country need to move away from burning solid fuel (coal, wood, turf) towards cleaner ways of heating our homes like gas or electrified heating.

To help with the approach we should implement a national Smoky Coal ban and determine the feasibility of a wider smoky fuel ban for towns and cities.

See what you can do to improve air quality in your home.

 

To reduce the impact of NO2:

Firstly we need to follow through on the legal requirement for an air quality action plan to be developed for Dublin to protect health.

Then we should continue to implement the transport options in the Government’s Climate Action Plan, promoting clean public transport and increasing the use of electric vehicles.

Finally, we all, as individuals, need to consider our transport choices for each journey we take.

See what you can do to improve air quality in your community.

 

Air Quality Index for Health

What we monitor

Monitoring stations

Air quality standards

Diffusion tube results

Latest reports on Air Quality

in: Air Quality
Blue sky and clouds
Urban Environmental Indicators Report

- Nitrogen Dioxide levels Dublin

This report is on levels of Nitrogen dioxide in Dublin with an assessment based on indicative methods including diffusion tubes and dispersion modelling.

Air Pollution
Air Quality in Ireland 2019

Air quality in Ireland during the year 2019

This assessment is based on monitoring data collected from the National Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Network during the year 2019

FAQs about air quality

in: Air

Air quality in Ireland is generally good however there are localised issues due to the burning of smoky fuel or emissions from transport in dense urban areas.

Popular FAQ's

  • Why is air quality important?

    Air pollution is a major environmental risk to health. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), air pollution can increase the risk of stroke, heart disease, lung cancer, and both chronic and acute respiratory diseases, including asthma. The World Health Organisation estimates that more than 400,000 premature deaths are attributable to poor air quality in Europe annually. In Ireland, the number of premature deaths attributable to air pollution is estimated at 1,300 people (Air Quality in Europe 2020, EEA) and is mainly due to cardiovascular disease. The WHO has described air pollution as the ‘single biggest environmental health risk’.

  • What are the main pollutants of concern to the environment and human health?

    The ambient air quality pollutants of most concern on an EU-wide level are Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), Particulate Matter (PM), Ozone (O3) and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs). They can impact on human health, ecosystems and vegetation and monitoring is carried out to determine their concentration levels.

  • How does ground-level ozone form?

    Tropospheric, or ground level ozone, is not emitted directly into the air, but is created by chemical reactions between oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOC). This happens when pollutants emitted by cars, power plants, industrial boilers, refineries, chemical plants, and other sources chemically react in the presence of sunlight.

    Sunshine and heat help ozone to form, so ozone pollution is most likely to be a problem on warm, sunny days.

    Another unusual thing about ozone is that it reacts with nitric oxide (NO) which is usually found in towns and cities near roads. As a result, ozone pollution is more of a problem in the countryside than in our cities.

  • What is Sulphur Dioxide?

    The main source of Sulphur Dioxide in Ireland is burning coal and oil to heat homes and industries and to produce electricity.

    It is an irritant gas which attacks the throat and lungs. Prolonged exposure can lead to increases in respiratory illnesses like chronic bronchitis. It contributes to the formation of acid rain, which damages vegetation and buildings.

    Levels in Ireland are low to moderate. Overall levels have decreased over recent years due to increased use of low-sulphur "smokeless" coal, increased use of natural gas instead of solid fuels and reduced industrial emissions through IPC licensing.

  • What is Carbon Monoxide?

    The main source of Carbon Monoxide in Ireland is traffic. It is absorbed into the bloodstream more readily than oxygen, so the relatively small quantities in inhaled air can have harmful effects.

    Prolonged exposure can cause tissue damage and individuals suffering from cardiovascular disease are particularly at risk. Levels in Ireland are low.

Download infographics and factsheets on air quality

General air quality infographic
Jpeg version of the home heating spectrum infographic
EPA Ireland's Environment infographic
EPA infographic

Watch our videos on Air

Air quality charts & data

Air Quality - PM10 HighChart Image
Air quality - PM10

PM10 levels are highest in our towns and villages across Ireland due largely to the burning of solid fuel. In urban areas, there is potential for some additional emissions from traffic and the resuspension of road dust.

Air Quality Particulate Highchart Image
Air quality - PM2.5

Fine particulate matter levels are a concern countrywide. All solid fuels (e.g. coal, peat and wood) produce fine particulate matter emissions. Fine particulate matter in our air has well-established impacts on respiratory and cardiovascular health. This is particularly problematic in or near towns and cities because of the cumulative effects of multiple sources of the pollutant and the large numbers of people exposed

Air Quality - Nitrogen Dioxide HighChart image
Air Emissions - 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.

Air Quality - Ground Level Ozone HighChart image
Air quality - ground-level ozone

Ground-level ozone is an air pollutant that is formed by the chemical reactions between oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOC), in the presence of strong sunlight. It has a global background concentration, which also has natural sources. Ground-level ozone pollution episodes are infrequent in Ireland but may occur when we have unusually hot, dry and stable weather conditions. These episodes may also be triggered by pollution episodes in the rest of Europe because depending on weather conditions, ground-level ozone pollution may be transported across to Ireland from mainland Europe.