Levels of cancer-causing pollutants at former Limerick Gasworks site above safety limits

Long-term exposure to benzene has been linked to leukaemia

Levels of a cancer-causing pollutant above recommended safety limits were recorded at several locations in the vicinity of the former Limerick Gasworks site over the past year, according to the State’s environmental watchdog.

The Environmental Protection Agency has revealed that the elevated concentrations of benzene — a known carcinogenic — were logged in ambient air readings from active and passive monitors between February and October during a major remediation project on the site.