Words: Eva O’Beirne
The interactive map that measures Air Quality Index for Health in Ireland has revealed that Dublin’s air quality rates on average three places above Limerick City and seven above Ennis.
Eagle-eyed Irish users on Reddit made the interesting discovery today that Dublin’s air quality is significantly higher than counties along the west and south coasts.
The post titled “Why is the air quality in this region so bad? Is it a glitch? What happens here?” was posted to r/Ireland last night, and prompted a large discussion on how Dublin, previously infamous for its smog levels, could rank so high when compared to more rural regions of the country.
As for why Ennis and Limerick have such poor air quality, Reddit users have pointed to Moneypoint power station as the potential culprit.
You can use the Environmental Protection Agency’s website to see the air quality levels in your local area here.
Different stations are ranked on an index from one to ten, one being “Good” and ten being “Very Poor”.
Most areas in Dublin ranked between one to three, while Ennis was ranked at a maximum of ten.
Mungret, Co. Limerick was ranked at an eight, while People’s Park in Limerick scored a five.
Letterkenny, Co. Donegal also scored a maximum of ten, while Athlone stood out in the midlands with a score of five.
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