Asthma-causing pollutant must be reduced by a fifth

ONE of the most dangerous pollutants in the air, which contributes to asthma and other respiratory problems, must be reduced by a fifth by 2020, under legislation agreed by the European Union.

The fine particulate known as PM2.5 comes mainly from transport vehicles and, being very fine, penetrates deep into the lungs.

It reduces the average life expectancy of every EU citizens by nine months and costs up to €790 billion a year in healthcare costs in the union.

Implementing the new limits is estimated to cost €7.1bn a year in 2020, which will amount to 0.05% of GDP.

But the commission says the savings in health benefits alone will be between €42bn and €135bn yearly. The effects on forests and water would be considerable also.

Under the rules, member states must reduce exposure in urban areas by an average of 20% by 2020 from what it will be in 2010. In the meantime, they must ensure that, by next year or 2015 at the latest, concentrations must be less than 20 micrograms/m3 in urban areas and 25 micrograms/m3 overall throughout the country.

There are already binding limits for another high dangerous pollutant known as PM10 but countries are having problems meeting the new standards and will be given an additional three years to comply.

According to figures from the Environment Protection Agency, Rathmines in Dublin and Castlebar in Co Mayo exceeded the current levels of the air pollutant known as PM10 nine times in the past year while six other centres — that are regularly monitored — exceeded them between one and five times.

However, for the European Commission to take action, the levels would have to be exceeded more than 35 times a year.

Limits have been breached in more than 370 zones throughout the EU.

This legislation is one of the key measures set out over two years ago to improve the environment and human health.