Air pollution taking average of four months off our lives

AIR pollution is taking up to four months off the life of Irish citizens while a range of pollution from air to noise is responsible for up to 10% of illness, according to a EU report.

People living in the east and south of Ireland and the Limerick area live an average of four months less, while those in the west live two months less because of airborne particulate matter according to the report.

Across Europe the picture is worse in many countries, especially in the Benelux countries, Germany, Poland, Romania and northern Italy. The cleanest atmosphere is in Norway and Sweden.

The average life expectancy of Europeans is reduced by almost nine months due to ailments linked to pollution while every year about 310,000 people die prematurely from diseases linked to air pollution.

New research in the Netherlands shows that up to 5% of all diseases may be due to pollution from air, noise, radon, total natural UV and dampness in houses. This percentage rises to as high as 10% if particulate matter (PM) mainly from transport is included.

Every working European is on sick leave a half day a year due to different illnesses caused by air pollution, which is equal to more than €80 billion a year lost by business.

Greenhouse gases are still rising, plants, animals, fish and insects continue to disappear, the amount of waste is still increasing, and pollution continues to harm public health, the EU report said.

Despite action to control it and global warming, there is little sign the tide is turning yet said Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas issuing his review of the Union’s Environment Action programme.

He said he is now considering reducing the quantity of the most dangerous chemicals that can be released into the air under the national emission ceilings directive and include emissions of PM.

Banning the burning of ordinary household coal hugely improved the air pollution levels in Dublin and Cork and decreased deaths in Dublin from respiratory and heart ailments dramatically according to a study carried out in 2002.

But the huge increase in transport on Irish roads has seen an increase in greenhouse gases, up more than 23% since 1990.

Mr Dimas said the EU has less than 13 years to achieve its goal of reducing energy consumption by 20%, and increasing its use of renewable energy by 20% by 2020.