Almost 1,000 lives a year could be saved on the island of Ireland if authorities adopt and meet WHO guidelines on air pollution, a new report claims today. (Mar30)

The major cross-border assessment reveals that around 2,600 premature deaths can be attributed to air pollution – 1,700 in the Republic and 900 in Northern Ireland – annually.

The report, Air Pollution and Mortality on the Island of Ireland, was commissioned by the Irish Heart Foundation and British Heart Foundation Northern Ireland and carried out by experts from Queen’s University Belfast and Technological University Dublin.

The World Health Organisation recommends air quality guideline levels for particulate matter (PM2.5) of 5 micrograms per cubic metre. But the report states many people living on the island of Ireland are exposed to air pollution “well in excess” of this level. Both organisations are calling on the governments to collaborate to improve air quality on the island of Ireland.

Some of the worst blackspots with the highest pollution levels were in the Republic of Ireland, with Limerick, Dublin, and Waterford cities experiencing some of the worst air quality.

It found the biggest risk to life from air pollution is heart disease, with 680 heart disease and stroke deaths in the Republic and 300 in Northern Ireland linked to the inhalation of harmful particles (particulate matter), caused largely from the burning of solid fuels.

These harmful pollutants (PM2.5) can damage blood vessels, causing them to become narrower and harder, and can also cause abnormal heart rhythms and increase blood pressure, increasing the risk of potentially deadly heart attacks and stroke.

“We know that across the island of Ireland, poor air quality is continuing to have a detrimental impact on public health,” said Irish Heart Foundation CEO, Tim Collins.

“This report estimates that there could be almost 1,000 fewer premature deaths per year attributable to air pollution on the island of Ireland if we are to achieve fine particulate matter pollution levels in line with the updated 2021 WHO guideline level.

“The findings within this report (funded by a grant from The Community Foundation For Ireland), make for stark reading and serve to shed some light on the size of the problem of air pollution.

“We hope that decision makers on the island will utilise it to move forward with bold action on air pollution to protect our health.”

At today’s launch at the Department of the Environment, Climate, and Communications, Mr Collins called for an all-island strategy to make the WHO guidelines enforceable North and South.

“The best way to do this would be to reduce drastically the amount of solid fuel that is being burned across the island as a whole.”

“Air pollution does not respect borders, therefore, to truly improve our air quality, governments must work together with co-ordinated policy interventions and legislation to protect our health including to completely phase out the most health-harming solid fuels and transition to cleaner, more sustainable forms of home heating,” he said.

He also called for assistance for households experiencing fuel poverty to help them become less reliant on solid fuels to heat their homes.

Minister Eamon Ryan, Minister for the Environment, Climate, and Communications said: “I welcome this valuable report from the Irish Heart Foundation and the British Heart Foundation Northern Ireland, which again shines a spotlight on the impact of residential heating and transport on our air quality.

Head of British Heart Foundation Northern Ireland Fearghal McKinney added that the report highlights the need for action on air pollution in order to save lives.

“Too many deaths across the island are attributable to air pollution. This report clearly shows that deaths from heart disease and strokes could be prevented by improving air quality.

“We were pleased to work with the Irish Heart Foundation on this report and we will continue to work together to highlight this issue and to improve health outcomes for everyone.

“I want to thank the researchers for this excellent report and I look forward to continuing to work with the Irish Heart Foundation and others to save lives.”

The new figures are based on mortality data gathered in 2019 – the last year research of this type was carried out unaffected by Covid-19.

Please find the full report here and a shorter briefing document here.