County’s air quality ‘generally good’

AIR quality in County Clare is “generally good” according to the Environmental Protection Agency’s recent report Air Quality in Ireland 2009 – Key indicators of Ambient Air Quality. However, the EPA are asking people in the county to consider the types of fuel they burn in their fires.

One of the indicators monitored for the report was particulate matter or PM10. PM10 consists of fine particles suspended in the air which may arise from the incomplete burning of fossil fuels, such as coal, oil and peat, in the domestic, industrial or transport sectors. Open fires in houses are a major source of much of the PM10 emitted into the atmosphere.
Dr Micháel Lehane, EPA programme manager said, “The EPA asks people in County Clare to consider the impact that their choice of domestic heating fuel can have on the environment and air quality in their area. An extension of the ban on the sale of bituminous coal to other areas would also further improve air quality.”
Domestic fossil fuel burning can have a major impact on air quality, especially the burning of ‘smoky’ bituminous coal. As a result, levels of PM10 in smaller towns are similar or worse than those in large towns and cities, where the sale of bituminous coal is banned.
The findings of the report are based on an overview of air quality in Ireland for 2009, based on data obtained from 28 monitoring stations.
Real-time air quality information is available on the EPA website at www.epa.ie/whatwedo/monitoring/air/data/. The website provides members of the public with direct access to current levels of pollutants from relevant fixed stations across the country.