Publication
Clean Air
From Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications
Published on
Last updated on
The burning of solid fuels increases the amount of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) and other pollutants in our homes, and in the air. This has a negative impact on local air quality in our communities.
The main health effects of air pollution include stroke, heart disease, lung cancer, and both chronic and acute respiratory diseases, including asthma. These conditions can lead to sickness and ill health, as well as premature mortality. Air pollution is also linked to increases in respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, dementia and can have negative impacts on the central nervous and reproductive systems. People with asthma, children, and the elderly are most at risk.
It is clear that the choices we make when heating our homes can impact our health, and our communities.
To improve air quality and reduce the associated health impacts, it is important to reduce the emissions into our air that are produced from the domestic burning of solid fuels. This is what the new solid fuel regulations are designed to do, by restricting the sale of lower quality, high polluting fuels.
Reducing air pollution to improve health and environmental outcomes is a key element of our Clean Air Strategy. It was also central to the public consultation on the solid fuel regulations.
The Clean Air Strategy provides the high-level strategic policy framework necessary to identify and promote the integrated measures across government policy that are required to reduce air pollution and promote cleaner ambient air, while delivering on wider national objectives. It outlines how we will enhance and protect the quality of the air that we breathe and realise the full environmental and health benefits of cleaner air.
Breathing fresh air is essential to overall health. Clean fresh air is important as it strengthens your immune system, provides greater clarity to the brain, and helps digest food more effectively.
Moreover, clean air is good for your lungs and respiratory system, plus it can improve your mood, as the more oxygen you breathe, the more serotonin (happy hormones) your body can produce.
When we burn solid fuels, they produce something called particulate matter. When we breathe in these particles, they can end up in our lungs, blood and brain,
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has recognised air pollution in general, and particulate matter especially, as causing cancer to humans. The latest evidence indicates that the health impacts of air pollution are wide ranging.
While we are all familiar with more visible forms of air pollution, such as smoke from coal fires, new evidence suggests that invisible forms of pollution, such as fine particulate are harmful to our health.
Poor air quality is linked to serious health implications, both short-term (such as headache, breathing difficulty, or eye irritation) and long-term (chronic ongoing conditions, including asthma, reduced liver function, and cardiovascular disease). Poor air quality has also been linked to cognitive development and mental health.
These negative health impacts come at a cost, both personally and economically. In addition to premature deaths, air pollution causes absence from work, reduced productivity, higher spending on medicines, and increased hospital admissions.
Image: Summary of Health Impacts of Air Pollution
To help reduce air pollution from solid fuels, there are 3 simple steps you can take.
We know that some homes are completely dependent on solid fuels for heating, however some people may light a fire just for cosiness. If you can, use other cleaner heating sources instead to reduce the pollution in your home and your community.
You can check the air quality in your area before you light the fire, if the air quality is very poor, think twice, particularly on days where the air is still and there is no wind to help disperse the smoke from your chimney. Information on air quality in local areas is available on AirQuality.ie
The type of fuel that you use has a big impact on the amount of pollution released to the air. The most polluting fuels have now been removed from commercial sale across the country. Bituminous coal like Columbian or Polish coal are now prohibited as they produce high levels of particulate matter. Wet wood and turf also produce high levels of pollution.
It is recommended that you have your chimney swept at least once a year. A regular sweep is essential to ensure that the flue is sufficiently clear to allow the fumes to escape freely and safely out of the chimney. Breathing fumes from gas or solid fuel fires can cause serious damage to your health and in the worse cases prove fatal. Having your chimney swept regularly will drastically reduce the chances of having a chimney fire and will also help reduce the amount of pollution released to the air.
The best time to have you chimney swept is just before the start of the heating season, after your stove or fire has not been used for a long period of time.
Read more at EPA's Air quality in Ireland 2022
The Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Eamon Ryan, signed the new Solid Fuel Regulations for Ireland (S.I. 529 of 2022), which commenced on 31 October 2022.
The primary focus of these regulations is on improving air quality and improving people’s health chances and outcomes, by restricting the retail, online and commercial sale of smoky fuels, including smoky coal, turf and wet wood. These fuels are proven to be a major contributor to air pollution in Ireland.
Some of the changes that now apply are:
- coal products and manufactured solid fuels must have a smoke emission rate of less than 10 grams per hour – this is the same as was previously in force in low smoke zones
- manufactured part biomass products must have a smoke emission rate of less than 5 grams per hour
- coal products and manufactured solid fuels, including manufactured part biomass products, must have a sulphur content of less than 2% by weight on a dry ash-free basis, and subject to a market assessment, from 1 September 2025 this will be reduced to 1%
- fuel products which are 100% biomass products including wood products and wood logs, supplied in units of two cubic metres or less, must have a moisture content of less than 25% (from 1 September 2025, this will be reduced to less than 20%)
- wood logs supplied in units of two cubic metres or more must now be accompanied by a notice outlining the need to store and season wet wood until it is sufficiently dried
- it is now not possible to sell turf via retail, online or other media, in public houses or other public places
There are also some changes to the certification and registration process, retailer obligations and other areas. More details on these can be found in our FAQ documents below. These will continue to be updated over the coming months.
Information on the registration process can be found on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) website.
To stay up to date with developments, sign up to our mailing list using the online form. If you have a specific query email solidfuels@decc.gov.ie
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is responsible for monitoring ambient air quality and has expanded their network of stations from 29 in 2017, to more than 100 today, with the network heading towards 116 stations. This expansion, funded by the department, provides for real time air quality monitoring across the country which is easily accessible via the Air Quality website.
Local Authorities are the enforcement agencies for breaches of the Air Pollution Act 1987 (Solid Fuels) Regulations 2022.