Air pollution from traffic decreased by up to 50% in some urban areas in 2020

Air pollution levels from traffic fell by up to 50% in some urban areas last year, according to a new report from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The ovid-19 restrictions and reduced traffic volumes resulted in a dramatic decrease in the amount of harmful pollutants produced compared to the previous year.

Concentrations of nitrogen monoxide and nitrogen dioxide gases – which are harmful to respiratory health – increased after the release of the first lockdown in June 2020, but were still below expected levels for that year.

However, Ireland was above the World Health Organization (WHO) air quality guidelines for emissions produced by the combustion of solid fuels such as coal, peat and wood.

The EPA Air Quality Report indicates that the levels of these emissions were above the recommended value at 38 of 67 monitoring stations due to the combustion of solid fuel for home heating.

The problem has been found to be more prevalent in small towns and villages than in large cities such as Dublin and Cork.

Emissions from solid fuel combustion remain the main contributor to poor air quality in Ireland, responsible for around 1,300 premature deaths per year.

The EPA says the levels of this pollutant, known as particulate matter, are “of growing concern” and are particularly high during the winter months, when people use solid fuels such as charcoal, grass and wood have a negative impact on air quality.

Pat Byrne, EPA program manager, said: “Ireland is above the WHO air quality guideline values ​​in many places and it is imperative that everyone, as a individuals, make cleaner air choices when deciding how to heat our homes, as this can improve our local environment. air quality and have associated health benefits.

While the reduction in traffic pollution has been welcomed, Dr Micheál Lehane, director of the EPA’s environmental monitoring office, warned that people “must not lose sight of the obvious connection between our travel choices. and levels of air pollutants derived from traffic “.

“Traffic pollutants negatively impact the health of people and our actions as individuals impact the air we breathe,” he added.

Recent figures from the Central Bureau of Statistics (CSO) show that traffic volumes have not yet returned to pre-Covid-19 levels, but 2021 traffic levels are not significantly lower.

In 2019, the EU air quality legal limit for nitrogen dioxide was exceeded in Dublin, mainly due to heavy traffic.

The capital’s four local authorities must produce an action plan to deal with the problem before the end of the year.

EPA monitoring and modeling indicate that exceedances will occur in more places in the future if the country reverts to typical models and modes of transportation.

The report calls for a modal shift towards clean public transport, improvement of cycling infrastructure and further pedestrianization of roads, as well as the proposed increase in the use of electric vehicles and associated infrastructure, described in the government’s climate action plan (2019).

Poor air quality has been described by the WHO as the “world’s greatest threat to environmental health”, causing seven million deaths worldwide each year.