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A NEW STUDY has found high levels of air pollution across Dublin’s inner city – with particularly high concentrations of nitrogen dioxide exceeding World Health Organisation guidelines found on several city centre streets.
The study by UCD and DCU found high levels of nitrogen dioxide on Cork Street, along the quays, on O’Connell Street and in the area around Temple Bar, as well as on St John’s Road West.
The data showed that during the sampling period, just under half (49.4%) of days exceeded World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines of the harmful pollutant, also known as NO2, with peaks during rush hours, especially in winter.
Nitrogen dioxide affects the respiratory system and can decrease the lungs’ defences against bacteria and make them more susceptible to infections.
Poor air quality has been linked with rises in asthma, chronic obstructive airway disease and heart failure.
The study also traced levels of fine particulate matter, which consists of very small particles which can be solid or liquid. Some of these particles occur naturally, and many are man-made.
It is estimated to cause roughly 1,300 premature deaths in Ireland annually, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
The worst affected areas in Dublin are as follows:
(*Entries 1 and 9 on the table refer to the same area, which registered a high level of pollution twice during the period of the study)
The data was collected over 16 months as part of the Google Air View project, using electric Google Street View cars equipped with air sensors across Dublin city from May 2021 to August 2022.
Those behind the study said it highlights the potential for a mobile monitoring approach which could enable real-time information about exposure levels and pollution hotspots.
“We uncovered distinct spatial and temporal patterns in two major pollutants associated with traffic – fine particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide,” researcher Jiayao Chen said.
Researcher David O’Connor said localised air quality data could be particularly useful for high risk and vulnerable areas.
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I wonder how much of this could be attributed to the unintended consequence of the green parties introduction of CO2 based motor tax in 2008. Hundreds of thousands of people encouraged to buy diesel cars when petrol would have suited them far better.
@John K: you do understand that these policies were set based on the best available evidence at the time and before the dieselgate scandal? But of course everyone loves being Captain Hindsight to score some troll points.
@Name: and when the evidence changed the gov’t position didn’t. They ignored the empirical & statistical data which IS a major contributing factor to the current situation.
It’s a bit like when the Climate Cult ignore over 1,000 peer reviewed studies that state there is no climate emergency, because it doesn’t advance their cause (a cause that a small group are making hundreds of billions out of). Climate extremeists are Zealots who cannot bear to consider that they have been conned & are useful idiots to make even more money for those few, because it would bring into question their whole existence & the place they take up in this world.
Of course some love being a defender of the indefensible to score some troll points.
@Jim: There is greater than 99% consensus on human-caused climate change in the peer-reviewed scientific literature.
@Name: that’s why I specified “unintended consequence”. I find it interesting that a policy designed to help the environment could have actually damaged air quality and I’d like to know how much could be attributed to that. Would you not like to know that? We should judge policy on the results not on the good intentions used to bring it into effect. Nothing to do with trolling or points as you suggest.
@Jim: wow, the only one showing zealotry is you with an unhinged rant like that.
You “forget” that the greens were no longer in power once the data came out that diesel was more polluting. Once back in power they entirely removed the gap. They also openly expressed regret that they relied on the data from the car industry to introduce the rule in the first place. IMO, that is chapter closed. But clearly not for some who love digging up 16-year old bodies to score troll points.
@John K: fair is fair, but it’s a dead horse that is still being brought to life, mostly for other reasons than you state. A perhaps more useful and interesting question is how Dublin’s air fairs compared to other cities that introduced policies to reduce polluting vehicles and increase modal alternatives. Policies that Dublin still is waiting on.
@John K: The CO2 based motor tax is COMPLETELY unrelated to the switch to diesel cars. That was based on data at the time concerning suspended particulate matter in the air.
@John K: I believe, if I recall correctly, that the promotion of diesel was based on data falsified by the car industry.
This was discovered when testing, of Volkswagen diesel cars, uncovered the car computer would enter a secret low emissions mode when detected it was user test, the so called “defeat device”.
Outside of testing, in the real world, the engine tuned itself for higher performance, resulting in higher emissions. Volkswagen were fined billions over this.
“It’s been dubbed the “diesel dupe”. In September, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found, external that many VW cars being sold in America had a “defeat device” – or software – in diesel engines that could detect when they were being tested, changing the performance accordingly to improve results. The German car giant has since admitted cheating emissions tests in the US.”
@David Jordan: that is correct but the CO2 motor tax made it cheaper for people to own diesel when petrol would have been more suitable for them
@Me Me: it was done to raise money no other reason.
@John K: There wouldn’t be that much pollution if Dublin had a metro network like other European cities, they can afford to impose a congestion or vehicle restriction charge because you can take the train metro and tram everywhere, and periodically. Dublin can’t have the luxury of imposing a congestion or vehicle ban because how will people get there if we stop driving?
@Name: so when they asked farmers to expand in 2009 teagasc and the government thought water quality would improve your so nieve god bless u
@J Ven: agreed on the metro, would love to see additional viable public transport options for the city.
@John K: Like maybe the LUAS on the northside.
@Brendan O’Brien: seriously, how can there be ’99%’ “consensus” when there are (at least) 1,000+ studies that disagree. That is the position a bigot or zealot would adopt.
Yiu.may also want to research your reference material (properly research it & see who is paying for the studies).
Have to laugh, throw out a stats like you did with a bullshit website to ‘back up” your outlamdish claim.
As said, people like you will never admit you are being manipulated because it would mean you are insignificant & your whole world view is a lie which affects the position you take up in this world. Same as you will never admit social distancing, €9 meals, 5km restrictions were all bullshyt – why because it would mean you were duped & your ego won’t allow an admission which would make you look foolish.
@Brendan O’Brien: seriously, how can there be 99% “consensus” when there are (at least) 1,000+ studies that disagree.
Yiu.may also want to research your reference material (properly research it & see who is paying for the studies).
Have to laugh, throw out a stats like you did with a bullshit website to ‘back up” your outlamdish claim.
As said, people like you will never admit you are being manipulated because it would mean you are insignificant & your whole world view is a lie which affects the position you take up in this world. Same as you will never admit social distancing, €9 meals, 5km restrictions were all bullshyt – why because it would mean you were duped & your ego won’t allow an admission which would make you look foolish.
I know some of those black (red) spots. Traffic has gotten worse since the council introduced their signal changes at the junctions, doubling and sometimes tripling the length of ques of idling cars.
@Royce Coolidge: evidence please? I’ve seen this “signal change” argument before. In fact, the council has only made these changes for very few junctions. Where they have, it is often to accommodate flow and accommodate pedestrians (I remember stressed grannies trying to cross before the yellow man ended).
People have short memories and the increase in traffic is more likely linked to an increase in motor vehicles on our roads, esp after COVID.
@Name: @Name: yeah hang on, Cambridge University and I are still getting our results peer tested.
It’s plain for anybody to see with their own two eyes. It’s a great many more junctions than “just a few” as you say. It used to be the case that ebery morning at 08:00 I reach road A that has a que of ten to fifteen cars, queing at junction x. The light turns green and ten cars get through.
Now I reach the same spot at the same time, and the que is twenty five to thirty cars long. The light turns green, for the bus lane only. Then after this the light turns green for cars. The light turns red for cars very quickly again, only three or four cars get through, (not helped by how slow Irish people are to put their phone Dow /get into first and get off the line) and two or three more break the lights, and the light for buses remains green, even though there may be none. The que of idling cars continues to grow.
Ahort memories indeed
Bring on the ultra-low emission zones and congestion charges. I live near one of those hot spots.
@Name: No. Put up with it or move into the wilderness.
@Marvin Dollery: no thanks. I’ve a disability that prevents me from driving. Living in the city means I can actually have a life instead of staring out of the window all day in loneliness. But thank you for your concerns about where I live.
@Marvin Dollery: You’re in favour of dangerous pollutants, no doubt.
@Marvin Dollery: This will really freak you out: five-minute cities!
@Name: I suggest you move then rather than taxing everyone
@Name: I think you just made up your disability to bolster your argument. Disgusting.
@Name: Ban the burning of fossil fuels for heat also.
@Name: you’re full of shyte
Diesel engines are generally the largest contributors to NO2 pollution, particularly heavy-duty diesel vehicles like buses & trucks.
As a motorcyclist, I’ve often received a face-full of dirty black fumes belched from a Dublin Bus exhaust.
Electrification of our bus fleet would do wonders for the city’s pollution.
@Ciarán Harris: and move the problem elsewhere. But Hey Smoke and Mirrors all in the name of sustainable vehicles..
If only google would build more data centres to fix this problem.
Electric vehicles will fix this.
@Ronan Mc: yes and no. They will fix the NO2 pollution. However, their brakes and tires emit quite a bit of particulate matter into the air. Then there is also noise pollution, which EVs will only partially fix. The true fixes are modal alternatives (PT, walking, cycling) and reducing speeds, but these reasonable suggestions have some commenters on this forum frothing at the mouth with rage.
@Name: Dublin Bus have circa 100 double deck EVs on the road at the moment, with more to be rolled out next year. This will make a huge difference!
@Michael O’Callaghan: not saying it won’t. Just saying that EVs of the private motor vehicle kind are not the panacea for a healthy city.
@Name: EV cars hardly ever use their brakes, it’s called regenerative breaking, which also means that there is less ware on the tires when slowing down.
@Ronan Mc: More tax will
Probably by the Dail is the worst ministers and tds arriving in their limos
The who?
@P. V. Aglue: the what?
@P. V. Aglue: the where?
@P. V. Aglue: the why .. !
Why bother suggesting anything. We’re incapable of logical solutions. Ban it sher… offset the problem, cook the numbers like you always do! ya useless shower,
Wow, so the main routes into and through the city have the heaviest levels of pollution from traffic…….and it took a “study” 18 months to “discover” this. Money well spent.
Kildare Street number 1
@Thesaltyurchin: It was 5%, not 50%. Bit of a difference!
@FlipBip: Chat GBT says (from the study) that it’s “50% of kids have 5% reduced lung capacity” so my numbers are off. Apologies.
So, proposed equivalents to the ULEZ silliness from London were floated for over here only last week, and now GOOGLE are running about in their weird cars not only photographing every damned thing, but they’re taking air samples for the government . . . and I’m the weirdo for seeing this as nuts???
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