The quality of air in Northern Ireland is continuing to improve, it was confirmed today.
Substandard air quality was found at just three monitoring sites — two in Belfast and one in Newry — out of 33 automated sites across the province.
The detail was included in the
Northern Ireland Air Quality Monitoringreport prepared by the Department of the Environment and district councils.
Welcoming the report, Environment Minister Sammy Wilson said: "The link between air quality and health is well known. Clean air is essential for our health and wellbeing. By reducing air pollution, we can reduce illness and premature death."
He said he was therefore pleased to report that, overall, air quality continued to improve and was good for the vast majority of the time.
The minister added: "My department continues to support actions to improve local air quality. In 2007/08, £635,000 of funding was provided to district councils under the Local Air Quality Management grants scheme."
Elevated levels of fine particles and nitrogen dioxide were reported at the three sites in Belfast and Newry.
The sites of poor air quality are; the Newtownards Road at Ballyhackamore in east Belfast, Stockmans Lane in west Belfast and Trevor Hill in the centre of Newry.
Action plans to improve the quality of the air at each site is being implemented by the Belfast City Council and Newry and Mourne Council.
PA