Evaluation of the effect of domestic solid fuel burning on ambient air quality in Ireland

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Resource or Project Abstract

Measurements of particulate pollution were undertaken at 4 monitoring locations, Navan, Letterkenny, Tralee and Killarney, during 2011/12. Black Smoke (BS) and particulate matter (PM) PM2.5 and PM10 were monitored. The BS monitoring was conducted for at least one full year at each location, while the PM monitoring was undertaken for 6 months at each site, encompassing 3 months of the 'heating season' and 3 months of the 'non-heating' season. In the cases of Letterkenny and Tralee, they both breach the WHO limit values for PM2.5 and approach the current EU limit values for PM2.5, with Letterkenny also in breach of the EU limit values for PAHs.
The statistical analysis of the data shows that the B(a)P (PAHs) is most strongly associated with the Black Smoke measurements (BS) which suggests that coal and diesel use are the major sources of the B(a)P.
This study has highlighted the knowledge gap that exists as a consequence of the lack of routine air quality monitoring in some of the smaller towns in Ireland.
This lack of routine monitoring potentially puts these populations at risk of increased pollution exposure.
A noticeable fact is that the particulate pollution levels as measured in some of these smaller Irish towns are significantly higher than in the large urban centres.

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Contact Information for This Resource

Prof. Patrick Goodman
Dublin Institute of Technology

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Data, Files, Information Objects Related To This Project Resource

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Attachment Name and Download Link
Att 1    Assessing_the_impacts_of_domestic_solid_fuel_use_on_ambient_air_quality_in_Ireland_-_MPhil.pdf   (7.21 Mb)
Att 2    Table_of_Contents_-_MPhil_thesis_Michelle_McNally_2015_.pdf   (0.25 Mb)
Att 3    VALID_PM10_&_2.5_2011-2012_and_75_trends.xlsx   (0.12 Mb)
Att 4    PAH_data_01082013_-_final.xlsx   (0.77 Mb)
Att 5    DATA_RELEASE_BS_2012.xlsx   (0.56 Mb)
Att 6    DATA_RELEASE_2_BS_2012.xlsx   (0.56 Mb)

Suggested Citation Information

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Author(s)Goodman, P.
Title Of WebsiteSecure Archive For Environmental Research Data
Publication InformationEvaluation of the effect of domestic solid fuel burning on ambient air quality in Ireland
Name of OrganisationEnvironmental Protection Agency Ireland
Electronic Address or URL https://eparesearch.epa.ie/safer/resource?id=5d3b86c4-7d5f-11e5-ab63-005056ae0019
Unique Identifier5d3b86c4-7d5f-11e5-ab63-005056ae0019
Date of AccessLast Updated on SAFER: 2023-06-06

An example of this citation in proper usage:

Goodman, P.   "Evaluation of the effect of domestic solid fuel burning on ambient air quality in Ireland ". Associated datasets and digitial information objects connected to this resource are available at: Secure Archive For Environmental Research Data (SAFER) managed by Environmental Protection Agency Ireland https://eparesearch.epa.ie/safer/resource?id=5d3b86c4-7d5f-11e5-ab63-005056ae0019 (Last Accessed: 2023-06-06)

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Access Information For This Resource

SAFER-Data Display URL https://eparesearch.epa.ie/safer/iso19115/display?isoID=3081
Resource KeywordsBlack Smoke, PM10, PM2.5, PAHs, B(a)P, Coal, diesel, natural gas
EPA/ERTDI/STRIVE Project Code2010-AQ-MS-1
EPA/ERTDI/STRIVE Project ThemeAir Quality
Resource Availability: Any User Can Download Files From This Resource
Public-Open
Limitations on the use of this ResourceAny attached datasets, data files, or information objects can be downloaded for further use in scientific applications under the condition that the source is properly quoted and cited in published papers, journals, websites, presentations, books, etc. Before downloading, users must agree to the "Conditions of Download and Access" from SAFER-Data. These appear before download. Users of the data should also communicate with the original authors/owners of this resource if they are uncertain about any aspect of the data or information provided before further usage.
Number of Attached Files (Publicly and Openly Available for Download): 6
Project Start Date Saturday 1st January 2011 (01-01-2011)
Earliest Recorded Date within any attached datasets or digital objects Saturday 1st January 2011 (01-01-2011)
Most Recent Recorded Date within any attached datasets or digital objects Wednesday 27th February 2013 (27-02-2013)
Published on SAFERWednesday 28th October 2015 (28-10-2015)
Date of Last EditWednesday 28th October 2015 at 10:47:17 (28-10-2015)
Datasets or Files Updated On Wednesday 28th October 2015 at 10:47:17 (28-10-2015)

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Geographical and Spatial Information Related To This Resource

Description of Geographical Characteristics of This Project or Dataset
Measurements of particulate pollution were undertaken at 4 monitoring locations, Navan, Letterkenny, Tralee and Killarney, during 2011/12. Black Smoke (BS) and particulate matter (PM) PM2.5 and PM10 were monitored. The BS monitoring was conducted for at least one full year at each location, while the PM monitoring was undertaken for 6 months at each site, encompassing 3 months of the 'heating season' and 3 months of the 'non-heating' season.

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Supplementary Information About This Resource

In this section some supplementary information about this resource is outlined. Lineage information helps us to understand why this project was carried out, what policy or research requirements did it fulfil, etc. Lineage is important in understanding the rationale behind the carrying out of a project or the collection of a specific dataset etc. Links to web sites, applications, papers, etc are outlined to provide you with additional information or supplementary reading about the project or dataset

Lineage information about this project or dataset
This project arose from a call from the EPA, where a lack of information on air quality in smaller towns in Ireland had been identified. This project was developled in part to fill some of this knowledge gap.
Supplementary Information
This work has made a number of key recommendations in relation to air quality and monitoring in Ireland.
Research publications are being developed on foot of the work undertaken in the project.
The authors would like to express their gratitude and thanks to all those who assisted with this work, in particular colleagues in the Air Quality Monitoring and Noise Control Unit in Particular, Patrick Douglas, Derval Coyne and Gerry Osborne.
Also, Damian Drumm, Executive Manager, Dublin City Council and Seamus Lyons, Assistant City Manager, Dublin City Council and Gavin Maguire, Assistant National Director, HSE.
In particular we wish to acknowledge assistance of the Health Services Executive Environmental Health Offices based in the four project monitoring locations, in particular Barry O?Callaghan in Letterkenny, Fidelma McCole in Navan, Brendan Dunne and Donal Daly in Tralee and Killarney, because without their onsite help this project would not have been possible.
Finally we would like to thank Andy Maguire in DIT who ironed out all the administrative problems.

Other Co-authors
Martin Fitzpatrick, Air and Noise Pollution unit, Dublin city Council.

Dr Barry Foley, DIT, Kevin St Dublin 8

Ms Michelle McNally, Air and Noise Pollution unit, Dublin city Council
Links To Other Related Resources
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