Research Publications

Research 307: Study on Usage and Waste Management of Amalgam Dental Fillings and Mercury-free Alternatives

Authors: Martina Hayes, Aileen Callanan, Mairead Harding, Christopher Lynch and Francis Burke, February 2020

Year: 2020

The filling of teeth is one of the most routine and common tasks undertaken by dentists. Because of the availability of community fluoridation and improved dental care, Irish adults have fewer missing teeth; however, they have more teeth with fillings.

Research 306: Second Review of Strategic Environmental Assessment Effectiveness in Ireland

Authors: Ainhoa González, Riki Therivel, Antonia Gaughran and Craig Bullock, January 2020

Year: 2020

The SEA Directive aims to integrate environmental considerations into planning and decision- making, with a view to promoting sustainable development. However, the extent to which the findings of environmental assessments are informing decisions is not fully understood. This report presents the findings of the second review of Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) effectiveness in Ireland.

EPA Research Strategy 2030 - Discussion Document

Year: 2020

This Discussion Document is the basis for the first phase of the Consultation Process where feedback / comments are sought on the proposed directions of the new EPA Research Strategy.

Research 305: BRIAR: Biomass Retrieval in Ireland using Active Remote sensing

Authors: Stuart Green, Shafique Martin, Saeid Gharechelou, Fiona Cawkwell and Kevin Black, December 2019

Year: 2019

Hedgerows are an important feature of the Irish landscape. They perform multiple functions, acting as boundary markers, reservoirs of biodiversity, controlling run-off and they store carbon in above-ground biomass. The purpose of this study was to examine the use of an active remote sensing tool, imaging radar, to estimate biomass in hedgerows.

Research 304: Scaling Soil Greenhouse Gas Emissions to the National Level

Authors: Mike G. Whitfield, Mohamed Abdalla, Giuseppe Benanti, William Burchill, Dru Marsh, Bruce Osborne, Brendan Roth, Matthew Saunders, Pete Smith and Mike Williams, December 2019

Year: 2019

This project was concerned with improving the national inventory of GHG emissions from Irish soils. The IPCC's Tier 2 and 3 methodologies were used, effectively upscaling regional data on N2O and CO2 to the national level, through a combined process-based model and geographic information system (GIS) approach.

Research 302: Fossil Fuel Lock-in in Ireland: How Much Value Is at Risk?

Authors: Celine McInerney, Conor Hickey, Paul Deane, Joseph Curtin and Brian Ó Gallachóir, December 2019

Year: 2019

The European emissions reduction policy is clear and calls for the energy sectors, particularly the electricity sector, to be carbon neutral before 2050. The objective of this study is to examine how the decarbonisation of the power system will impact the investment case for both electricity generation and infrastructure assets.

Research 303: Research Support for Integrated Atmospheric Studies at Mace Head

Authors: Darius Ceburnis, Colin D. O’Dowd, Stephen G. Jennings and Margaret Ryan, December 2019

Year: 2019

This fellowship project supports extensive research efforts on particulate matter (PM) studies in Ireland and at Mace Head station, particularly for building a knowledge base and establishing and sustaining long-term measurement series at the station.

Research 301: Adaptive Responses to Climate Impacts (ARC)

Authors: Justin Doran, Thomas McDermott, Paul Kilgarriff, Swenja Surminski and Mauricio Perez Alaniz, November 2019

Year: 2019

Climate change is likely to lead to physical changes in temperature and precipitation and sea level rise, and Ireland is already experiencing the effects of climate change on its weather patterns. This project identifies several interacting factors that should be considered in designing efficient climate change adaptation strategies.

Research 300: Climate Change in Irish Media

Authors: Eileen Culloty, Alan Smeaton, Jane Suiter, Padraig Murphy, Pat Brereton, Dian Zhang and Dave Robbins , November 2019

Year: 2019

Research indicates that public concern about climate change is largely derived from media consumption. This project investigated coverage trends on climate change across print, broadcast and online media in order to make recommendations for climate change communicators.

Best Practices from the Environmental Implementation Review 2019 across the EU 28 Countries

Authors: Eileen O’Leary, November 2019

Year: 2019

This report aims to distil out the best practices from the 28-Country EU Environmental Implementation Review 2019 (EIR).

Research 299: Assessment of Agricultural Activity on Drained Organic Soils

Authors: Jennifer B. Donlan, Jean O’Dwyer and Kenneth A. Byrne, November 2019

Year: 2019

Peatlands play a vital role in the carbon cycle in terms of carbon storage and biosphere–atmosphere exchange of greenhouse gases. Drainage and conversion to agriculture dramatically alters these processes and transforms the ecosystem from a carbon sink to a carbon source. A key prerequisite for assessing the magnitude of such emissions is to estimate the area of peatland under agricultural use, in this case cultivation.

Research 298: An Integrated Source Apportionment and Climatic Implications of PM2.5 and PM10 Particulate Matter

Authors: Darius Ceburnis, Colin D. O’Dowd and Margaret Ryan, November 2019

Year: 2019

This fellowship enabled and sustained scientific operations at Mace Head Atmospheric Research Station. The advanced method of dual carbon isotope analysis will allow better identification of natural and anthropogenic source contributions, which is essential for quantifying human-induced global climate change.

Research 297: Identification and Mapping of Water-related Research Infrastructure in Ireland

Authors: Eoin Byrne, Kevin Fitzgibbon and Anca Minescu, October 2019

Year: 2019

This project developed a new online national WRI database by collaborating with the water research community in Ireland, using an interactive consultation and design process. It is a central database of information on all WRI in Ireland, including the types of WRI available for various research areas and applications, from the freshwater sector to the marine, climate and agriculture sectors.

Research 296: Algeopolymers

Authors: Éva Ujaczki, Chinnam Rama Krishna and Lisa O’Donoghue, October 2019

Year: 2019

The Algeopolymers project study focused on a state-of-the-art review related to geopolymers, including the use of wastes and by products as core ingredients in geopolymer products. The objective of the research was to investigate the potential for Irish wastes (fly ash, bauxite residues, etc.) to be used in geopolymer applications and the opportunities for these geopolymer applications within the construction industry in Ireland.

Research 295: Research on Aspects of Ireland’s Environment, Consumer Behaviour and Health: ESRI Environment Research Programme 2016–2018

Authors: Achim Ahrens, John Curtis, Seraphim Dempsey, Mel T. Devine, Tom Gillespie, Gianluca Grilli, Stephen Hynes, Ronan C. Lyons, Peter D. Lunn, Seán Lyons, Terence J. McElvaney, Edgar Morgenroth, Kyle Moore, Martin Murphy, Áine Ní Choisdealbha and Anne Nolan. Editor: Seán Lyons, October 2019

Year: 2019

The Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) Environment Research Programme 2016-2018 brought together a diverse set of research topics in which the environment interacts with economic and social processes. Detailed in this report are findings from 7 projects which were undertaken as part of the wider Programme.

Research 293: Water Reuse in the Context of the Circular Economy

Authors: Eoin Byrne, Kevin Fitzgibbon, Anca Minescu and Julia Blanke, October 2019

Year: 2019

This project addresses water reuse in the context of the circular economy in Ireland. This study has reviewed the policy background for water reuse; assessed the international practices in water reuse; examined the main technologies that are used for water recovery and their suitability; and conducted significant stakeholder engagement, including the first national public survey on attitudes to water reuse in Ireland.

Research 294: Investigation of Indium Recovery from End-of-life LCDs

Authors: Chinnam Rama Krishna, John Mulcahy and Lisa O’Donoghue, September 2019

Year: 2019

The LCDVal project aimed to illustrate the potential indium value contained in liquid crystal displays (LCDs) accessible via recovery techniques, therefore turning liquid crystal panel waste fractions into a resource for critical raw materials.

Research 292: Developing Frameworks for Evaluation and Mitigation of Environmental Impact of Infant Feeding Decisions on Healthcare and Society

Authors: Bernadette O’Regan, Richard Moles, Yvonne Ryan-Fogarty and Rachel Shawe, September 2019

Year: 2019

Substantial environmental costs result from infant feeding decisions, not only regarding milks, foods and equipment purchased, but also regarding disposal of plastics, packaging and food waste. Existing infant feeding policies and waste management guidance do not address the disposal and waste aspects.

Research 287: Catalysing and Characterising Transition

Authors: Geraint Ellis, Therese Hume, John Barry and Robin Curry, September 2019

Year: 2019

This synthesis report presents the main findings from a desk study on Catalysing and Characterising Transition (CCTransitions), which was funded by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Interim Review of the 2014-2020 EPA Research Programme

Year: 2019

This independent review examines the performance to date of the EPA’s 2014-2020 Research Programme.