More than 20 lives a year could be saved in Mid Ulster area by improving air quality

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

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 Mid Ulster District Council area the data shows that 58 premature deaths a year are attributable to polluted air – with 23 people in the area dying from heart disease as a result of air pollution.

The report shows that 22 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 (PM2.5) 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 (PM2.5) 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,” he said.