What we know
What information do we have about the Eastern Board area?
What is the result of this on our health locally?
Policies
What is happening in the Eastern Board area?

This section will examine three key environmental health issues:

	Air quality
	Drinking water quality
	Radon gas

In all cases, analysis of the impact on the health of EHSSB residents is limited to broad descriptions of the exposure data. While we know from research studies that environmental hazards have very real effects on human health it is difficult to quantify these effects for a population outside a specific research project.

The provision of a safe water supply is a key public health issue. Micro-organisms, chemicals and pesticides are all potential water pollutants which can affect human health. Regular monitoring against statutory standards is therefore carried out for over 80 different parameters.

It is now accepted that high levels in drinking water of chemicals such as Lead and Nitrates may also have health effects, particularly in babies and small children. However, standards for other chemicals such as Aluminium and Iron are set to assure physical parameters of turbidity and taste. Further information on the health effects of chemicals in drinking water is available at www.who.int/water_sanitation_health.

Air pollution was not generally thought of as a serious health issue until the London Smog of 1952. It is estimated that up to 12,000 people died as a result of increased levels of sulphur dioxide, smoke and particulates.

The major pollutants for which standards have been set, and their health effects, are listed below:

Further information on the health effects of air pollution is available from the Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollution (COMEAP) at www.advisorybodies.doh.gov.uk/comeap/index.htm

Attention is now turning to indoor air quality. While exposure of people to indoor tobacco smoke is the major issue, modern construction methods, poor ventilation and the use of solid fuel heating systems may lead to increases in the following:

	Moulds
	Formaldehyde
	Total volatile organic compounds
	Nitrogen dioxide

Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas, formed from the uranium which occurs to varying degrees in all rocks and soils.

Health studies have shown that exposure to high levels of radon gas is linked to an increased risk of lung cancer. The risk to smokers from exposure to high levels of radon is much larger than that for non-smokers.

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Aggregate data on drinking water quality for 101 supply zones in Northern Ireland are reported annually by Water Service and by the Northern Ireland Drinking Water Inspectorate. The most recent reports are:

	DWI report, 2002 www.ehsni.gov.uk/pubs/publications/DWI_Annual_Report_2002.pdf
	Water Service, 2003 www.waterni.gov.uk/pdfs/ACF24.pdf

In 2003, compliance at customers’ taps for microbiological standards was 99.61% of all the tests taken; the figure for overall compliance was 98.5% due to poorer performance for THMs, Iron, Aluminium and Lead. Improvements in these parameters will occur when a new treatment works for the Mourne Mountain supply opens.

Air quality monitoring in Northern Ireland is currently carried out by District Councils and the Environment and Heritage Service. A mixture of real time and historical data are available at:

www.airquality.co.uk

www.belfastcity.gov.uk/newenvhealth/EnvironmentalHealth/airquality

www.ehsni.gov.uk/pubs/publications/AQReport_web.pdf

A map showing the percentage of homes exceeding the action level for radon gas in Northern Ireland was published in 1999 by the Environment and Heritage Service in association with the National Radiological Protection Board. Further details are given at www.nrpb.org/publications/archive/reports/1999/nrpb_r308.htm.

This shows the majority of homes are in areas where indoor radon levels are generally low but that there are some in the southeast and northwest of Northern Ireland where levels may be raised.

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While micro-organisms such as cholera and typhoid have caused death and disease in the past, these are now rare in the developed world. The potential for spread of disease such as cryptosporidiosis remains, however.

Belfast and the Lagan Valley have historically experienced some of the worst air pollution conditions in the United Kingdom. This is due to the geography of the Lagan Valley which, during cold Winter conditions, can restrict the wider dispersal of air pollutants. While air quality has greatly improved since the 1960s, standards may still be exceeded at times by nitrogen dioxide and particulates from vehicle traffic, and sulphur dioxide from solid fuel used for heating.

For most people the health risk from radon is insignificant. However, some houses in some parts of Northern Ireland have higher levels of radon gas. It is recommended that action be taken to reduce levels when radon exceeds 200 Bq/m 3. This can usually be done through inexpensive measures by the householder or builder, usually involving minor construction work.

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