Checking out the air that we breathe

The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that 1,300 preventable deaths occur in this country each year as a result of fine particulates in the air, and for their project, St Finian’s College students Noah Callum Hill from Rathconnell, Donagh Carey from Rochfortbridge and Sarah Higgins from Delvin set out to determine how much PM2.5 particulate students inhale daily as a result of the various activities they are involved in.

The three were particularly interested in establishing PM2.5 levels in classrooms, training facilities, houses using different energy sources, and in old versus new buses. The team undertook extensive testing and found that in training settings, readings were higher in urban than rural locations; in schools, they were higher in classrooms in which the window were shut; and readings were higher in old buses than in new.

Pointing out that the EPA assessment means that one out of every 27 deaths in this country is due to particulates, Donagh said that if the problem is to be tackled, it means retrofitting buildings and getting rid of diesel cars. Donagh admits to having been struck at the difference in readings at a sports ground in Mullingar compared to one in a more rural setting. Looking at buses, Sarah was shocked at the difference in readings between the eight-year-old bus she travels to school compared to the 20-year-old bus her friend travels on.