Sinn Féin Health spokesperson councillor Patricia Logue has called for urgent action to improve air quality in the North of Ireland after the results of a survey carried out by the World Health Organisation were revealed.
Cllr Patricia Logue commented: “This is very worrying indeed. The World Health Organisation found that the quality of air in Derry, Belfast and Armagh exceeded the recommended limit of safe exposure to particles with Armagh’s air quality level nearly as bad as those recorded in London.
"On a local level for a number of years we have been raising concerns about air pollution in our city, with concerns particularly for people living and who have businesses along busy main arterial traffic routes.
"I and councillor Colly Kelly have raised problems with the traffic congestion and air pollution at the junctions of Beechwood Avenue and Marlborough/Laburnum Terrace as far back as 2011.
"This in in turn is having an adverse effect on the air quality at Creggan cross roads with the exhaust emissions. Car exhausts contain a range of toxic substances that can have a serious impact on health."
Cllr Logue said that the issue was leading to health problems and deaths.
"Long term exposure to air that exceeds the limit is linked to the development of heart disease and other illnesses and over 500 deaths in the North per year are attributed to air pollution," she said.
"This represents more deaths per year than road traffic collisions and passive smoking combined. Clearly, urgent cross-departmental action is needed to improve the standard of air quality here.”
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