Air Quality – The National Picture

Patrick Kenny

National Ambient Air Quality Programme

Office Of Environmental Assessment

28th September 2015

Overview

o model

Air quality -

• Zones and monitoring network

• Current trends in Ireland – 2014 report

• AQ Health Index

• Research

• EMEP network

Radon

Current and future developments –

• Air Incident Response Unit (AIRU)

• Citizen science

• Air quality monitoring programme

• Air quality model - forecasts

Air Quality - Zones and Monitoring Network

CAFÉ Directive / 4th Daughter Directive

The EPA is the Competent Authority for implementation

Manages the national ambient monitoring network

National Reference Laboratory (NRL) for air quality

Pollutants monitored for;

NO2 / NOx, SO2, PM2.5 / PM10, Ozone,

Benzene, CO, PAH, Metals – As, Ni, Pb, Cd, Hg

Four zones A,B, C and D

Air Quality - Zones and Monitoring Network

Air Quality monitoring zones in Ireland in 2014/15

Air Quality Zones and Monitoring Stations

Air quality monitoring sites in Ireland in 2014

Air Quality – current trends in Ireland

2014 Air Quality Report published today

Ireland continues to have comparatively good air quality

with no breaches of legal limit values recorded at any

monitoring stations in 2014

Dioxin survey 2014

Levels are in line with previous surveys and below

legislative limits

WHO have developed guideline standards which are

stricter than EU values. Should these be adopted by the

EU, it would present a significant challenge

Air Quality – current trends in Ireland

Particulate Matter levels are of concern –

Implementation and enforcement of bituminous coal

ban

Households / businesses should strive to switch

from solid fuel to cleaner alternatives if possible

NO2 in trafficked areas a concern

Smarter Travel – A Sustainable Transport Future

National Emission Reduction Target (NERT) for PM2.5

10% reduction by 2020

Black Smoke Concentrations in Major Urban Areas

0

50

100

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85/8

6

86/8

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87/8

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92/9

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9

09/1

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10/1

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11/1

2

µg

/m3

Zone A Zone B Zone C

revoked 98 percentile limit value

Air Quality – current trends in Ireland – NO2

Trend in NO2 concentrations for zones in Ireland 2004 ‐ 2014

Air Quality – current trends in Ireland – PM10

0

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10

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45

50

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

An

nu

al

Mean

µg

/m3

Zone A traffic

Zone A background

Zone B traffic

Zone C

Zone D

Annual limit value

WHO air quality guideline

Trend in PM10 concentrations for zones in Ireland 2004 - 2014

Air Quality – current trends in Ireland – Ozone

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

9000

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

AO

T40

(µ

g/m

3).

h

Galway remote

Monaghan remote

Laois regional

Kerry remote

Mayo near town

Long-term objective

Trend in ozone concentrations in Ireland 2004 - 2014

Air Quality – current trends in Ireland – PM2.5

Trend in PM2.5 concentrations in Ireland 2004 - 2014

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5

10

15

20

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2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

An

nu

al

Mean

µg

/m3

Coleraine St.

Rathmines

Marino

Cork

Ennis

Longford

Claremorris

Annual limit value

WHO guideline

Air Quality – current trends in Ireland - PAH

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

1.2

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

An

nu

al

Mean

ng

/m3 Zone A background

Zone A traffic

Zone B

Zone C

Zone D background

Trend in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) – 2009 -2014

Air Quality – current trends in Ireland – SO2

0

5

10

15

20

25

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

An

nu

al M

ean

µg/

m3

Zone A (traffic)

Zone A (background)

Zone B

Zone D

Vegetation annual limit value

Trend in SO2 concentrations for zones in Ireland 2004 - 2014

Air Quality – SO2

Holuhraun ice field in Iceland

Air Quality – NO2

Concentrations of NO2 in Ireland in 2012 with relation to other EU Member

States (source: EEA)

Air Quality – PM10

Concentrations of PM10 in Ireland in 2012 in relation to other EU

Member States (Source: EEA)

Air Quality – ozone

Concentrations of ozone in Ireland in 2012 in relation to other EU

Member States (Source: EEA)

Air Quality Index for Health – www.airquality.epa.ie

Air Quality Index for Health – www.airquality.epa.ie

Air Quality Index for Health – www.airquality.epa.ie

Additional Features of the Website

Summary of ongoing EPA funded air quality related projects

Project Title Organisation

2013-EH-FS-7 Development of a spatially- and temporally-resolved

emission inventory for Ireland

University of Dublin, Trinity

College (TCD)

2013-CCRP-FS.15 CRiMsON (Consolidation of IRelands Greenhouse Gas

and Transboundary MOnitoring Network)

National University of Ireland

Galway (NUIG)

2013-EH-MS-14 Assessment of the impact of ammonia emissions from

intensive agriculture installations on SACs and SPAs

University College Dublin

(UCD)

2013-EH-MS-15 Source Apportionment of Particulate Matter in Rural and

Urban Residential Areas (SAPPHIRE)

University College Cork (UCC)

CCRP-09-FS-4-2 Research support for integrated atmospheric studies at

Mace Head

National University of Ireland

Galway (NUIG)

2012-CCRP-MS.7 Critical Loads and Dynamic Soil-Vegetation Modelling Trent University

Summary of ongoing EPA funded air quality related projects

2012-CCRP-MS.8 Ammonia2—Baseline Ammonia Deposition Rates in

Ireland and Local impacts of Point Source Emissions

University College Dublin (UCD)

CCRP-09-FS-4-3 Research Support for Mace Head: Instrumentation, Data

Systems and Analysis

National University of Ireland

Galway (NUIG)

CCRP08Proj-4.1A Development of critical loads for Ireland Trent University

2010-AQ-MS-1 Evaluation of the effect of domestic solid fuel burning on

ambient air quality in Ireland

Dublin Institute of Technology

(DIT)

2012-EH-FS-6 Air quality modelling University of Dublin, Trinity

College (TCD)

2013-CCRP-MS.14 Integrated Modelling Project - GAINS Ireland APEnvEcon

2014-CCRP-MS.19 On-Line BioAerosol Sampling (OLBAS) University College Cork (UCC)

2014-CCRP-FS.20 Research Fellowship on Air Science University of Dublin, Trinity

College (TCD)

European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme (EMEP) Network

National Radiation Monitoring Network

EPA continuously assesses

radioactivity in air at selected

permanent monitoring stations in the

NRMN

Levels low & consistent with global

background levels

Emergency response role – rapid,

nationwide assessment of airborne

contamination

Trace levels from the Fukushima

nuclear accident measured March-

May 2011

Radon – The radon map of Ireland

Ireland - 89 Bq/m3

UK - 21 Bq/m3

Worldwide - 39 Bq/m3

Recent and Future Developments

Air Incident Response Unit (AIRU)

Citizen science

Air quality webpages optimized for mobile devices such as

phones and tablets

Future Developments -

Air quality monitoring programme

Air quality model – forecasts

Improved dashboard

Thank You

Thank You