Almost 30 lives a Year could be saved in Newry, Mourne and Down if Air Pollution guidelines were adopted

Almost 30 lives a year could be saved in the Newry, Mourne and Down area if international guidelines on air pollution are adopted, a new report claims. The inhallation of particles caused largely from the burning of solid fuels is a major contributor to heart disease and stroke deaths across the island of Ireland.

An all-Ireland report jointly commissioned by the British Heart Foundation Northern Ireland and Irish Heart Foundation - reveals that around 2,600 premature deaths a year can be attributed to air pollution - 1,700 in the Republic and 900 in Northern Ireland.

The report, Air Pollution and Mortality on the Island of Ireland, was carried out by experts from Queen’s University Belfast and Technological University Dublin.  

In the Newry, Mourne and Down District Council area the data shows that 78 premature deaths a year are attributable to polluted air – with 27 people in the area dying from heart disease as a result of air pollution.

The report shows that 29 lives a year could be saved in the area if World Health Organisation guidelines on air pollution were implemented.  

The World Health Organisation recommends air quality guideline levels for particulate matter (PM_2.5) of 5 micrograms per cubic metre. But the report states many people living on the island of Ireland are exposed to air pollution “well in excess” of this level. Both organisations are calling on the governments to collaborate to improve air quality on the island of Ireland.  

It found the biggest risk to life from air pollution is heart disease, with 680 heart disease and stroke deaths in the Republic and 300 in Northern Ireland linked to the inhalation of harmful particles (particulate matter), caused largely from the burning of solid fuels.

These harmful pollutants (PM_2.5) can damage blood vessels, causing them to become narrower and harder, and can also cause abnormal heart rhythms and increase blood pressure, increasing the risk of potentially deadly heart attacks and stroke. 

The report was launched at the Department of the Environment, Climate, and Communications in Dublin.   

Head of British Heart Foundation Northern Ireland Fearghal McKinney said the report highlights the need for action on air pollution in order to save lives.   

“Too many deaths across the island are attributable to air pollution. This report clearly shows that deaths from heart disease and strokes could be prevented by improving air quality.   

“This is an issue which requires a coordinated response across the island. There is a role for governments north and south to lead on this in order to meet World Health Organisation targets. 

"A restored Northern Ireland Executive must deliver on the first Clean Air Strategy for Northern Ireland, that includes a commitment to WHO targets and improved monitoring of PM_2.5 across Northern Ireland. 

“We were pleased to work with the Irish Heart Foundation on this report and we will continue to work together to highlight this issue and to improve health outcomes for everyone."  

Irish Heart Foundation CEO, Tim Collins added “We know that across the island of Ireland, poor air quality is continuing to have a detrimental impact on public health.  

“This report estimates that there could be almost 1,000 fewer premature deaths per year attributable to air pollution on the island of Ireland if we are to achieve fine particulate matter pollution levels in line with the updated 2021 WHO guideline level.  

“The findings within this report (funded by a grant from The Community Foundation For Ireland), make for stark reading and serve to shed some light on the size of the problem of air pollution.  

“We hope that decision makers on the island will utilise it to move forward with bold action on air pollution to protect our health. 

“The best way to do this would be to reduce drastically the amount of solid fuel that is being burned across the island as a whole.”  

“Air pollution does not respect borders, therefore, to truly improve our air quality, governments must work together with co-ordinated policy interventions and legislation to protect our health including to completely phase out the most health-harming solid fuels and transition to cleaner, more sustainable forms of home heating.” 

Minister Eamon Ryan, Minister for the Environment, Climate, and Communications said: “I welcome this valuable report from the Irish Heart Foundation and the British Heart Foundation Northern Ireland, which again shines a spotlight on the impact of residential heating and transport on our air quality.  

“The report also reaffirms what I and this Government have always acknowledged – that there are no safe levels of air pollution, and taking into account all its negative effects, the onus is on us to move towards the new WHO guidelines. I am committed to finding the most appropriate policy pathways towards achieving this, with the ultimate aim of providing cleaner air for all.” 

The new figures are based on mortality data gathered in 2019 – the last year research of this type was carried out unaffected by Covid-19.