New index to measure air quality in Galway

A new index which calculates and updates the air quality in Galway every hour is expected to become a valuable resource for asthmatics and people who suffer from respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.

The Air Quality Index for Health (AQIH), launched by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) this week, allows members of the public to check on the quality of air in the city and obtain advice in relation to its impact on their lives.

It provides a coloured scale, divided into four bands from ‘good’ to ‘very poor’, along with health advice for both at-risk groups and the general population.

The index was developed in conjunction with the Health Service Executive, Met Éireann and the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government. You can see the current readings at www.airquality.epa.ie.

By zooming in on Galway on a map of Ireland, a user of the site can check out the AQIH which can change considerably over the course of a day as well as obtaining advice on what to do when the reading is poor.

“Air quality can vary from town to town, day to day and even hour to hour. The Air Quality Index for Health allows people in Galway to keep informed about air quality in their town or area and its impact on their health and that of their family,” said EPA Manager Barbra O’Leary.

“The access to up to date and correct information on air quality is important to everyone, but especially for anyone suffering from respiratory and cardiovascular diseases who are more likely to be at risk from air pollution.”

People at risk are advised to check the index before engaging in any strenuous outdoor activities such as sports.

Clean air is seen as having a huge importance in determining a population’s health and reducing the burden of chronic disease.

While air quality in Ireland is amongst the best in Europe, the levels of some pollutants remain a cause for concern, particularly those produced by traffic in some urban centres.

Domestic solid fuel use is the other main source of concern, especially in areas where the sale of bituminous coal is permitted.

Ms O’Leary said Irish people were lucky to have relatively good levels of air quality and there was never a need to take extreme precautions, such as staying indoors, which were necessary in other parts of the world.