Air quality monitoring and modelling at motorway and roundabout sites in Ireland

Abstract

EU legislation requires Ireland to set ambient air quality objectives, assess the ambient air quality, gather information on ambient air quality and make it available to the public, and to maintain or improve the ambient air quality. These ambient air quality objectives are specified in the Daughter Directives of the Air Quality Framework Directive (CEC, 1996; 1999; 2000; 2002). The Irish EPA considered that NO2 and PM10 would present the greatest challenges in meeting the EU standards and warned of the implications for traffic management and transport policy (EPA, 2000). “Road traffic has replaced stationary combustion sources as the greatest threat” to air quality in Ireland, according to the EPA (2000). The transport sector is estimated to contribute 50% of total NOx emissions and 80% of total CO emissions in Ireland. Sources of PMio in Ireland are under investigation. Although classified as priority pollutants, there has been no historical national monitoring campaign for CO, NO2, PM10 and benzene, as there has been for smoke and sulphur dioxide.