Limerick university finds smokey coal ban reduced probability of lung diseases

A ‘SIGNIFICANT’ reduction in chronic lung disease has been linked to the smokey coal ban, a Limerick university finds. 

A new study from University of Limerick (UL) has found that the ban of smoky coal in Ireland led to a reduction in the probability of chronic lung diseases in older people.

Last year, the ban became nationwide, as the extension of smokey coal bans became gradual nationwide over the last 30 years. In Ireland, usage of solid fuels, including coal, is relatively high for western Europe. 

According to the most recent census in 2022, nearly 9%of households used solid fuels as their main source of heating. In contrast, the percentage of households in the UK using solid fuels as their main source of heating is less than 2%.

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Lead author of the study, Vincent O’Sullivan, Associate Professor of Economics UL, said: “Our comprehensive analysis consistently showed that the bans reduced the incidence of lung disease among older people.

“We tracked the health status of over 4,000 older people in Ireland, who were interviewed every two years between 2009 and 2018.

“We calculated that extending the ban to towns with more than 15,000 inhabitants, which occurred during the 2010s, reduced the incidence of new cases of chronic lung disease by around 23%”.

The greatest damage to health from air pollution is caused by exposure to particulate matter, primarily resulting from the combustion of fuels, such as for domestic heating, power generation, and in vehicle engines. 

One of the study’s co-authors, Dr Anne Nolan of the Economic and Social Research Institute added: “Our study shows that even in Ireland, which has relatively good air quality and low levels of pollution by international standards, policy measures to reduce air pollution can still have positive effects on health.”