We’re being warned that burning solid fuels can expose people to dangerous levels of air pollution.
Data from the EPA’s monitoring station in the county town showed very high levels of pollution at times over the past week, which suggests that people could still be burning smoky coal, despite a ban introduced a number of years ago.
WHO air quality guidelines warn that particulate matter, associated with the burning of solid fuels, should not exceed 25 micrograms on a 24-hour average, however at one point on Sunday night levels in Ennis reached 393.
Professor John Wenger from the Centre for Research into Atmospheric Chemistry at UCC, which studies the data says exposure to air pollution leads to over 1,200 premature deaths in Ireland every year.
