Newlands Cross Upgrade EIS - European Investment Bank

South Dublin County Council N7 Newlands Cross Upgrade
Environmental Impact Statement
9.4 Description of the Receiving Environment
Arup Consulting Engineers
9.4.1 Bord na Móna Baseline Air Quality Monitoring Results
Concentrations of NO2, SO2 PM10 and VOCs recorded are presented in Table 9.5 and Table
9.7. NO2, SO2 and benzene are compared with the limits outlined in the Air Quality Standards
Regulations 2002. Toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene are compared with the Danish C-Values.
Results of NO2 monitoring suggest that baseline concentrations could exceed the AQS at 3
locations (refer to Table 9.5), if these results were replicated in all other months of the year.
However, monthly averages of NO2 can vary by a factor of two or more, and further
monitoring would be required to establish completely the baseline concentrations. Further,
the monitoring results are comparable with the results of EPA average 24-hour concentrations
of NO2 air quality monitoring in the Dublin region for the month of October 2006 (refer to
Table 9.6). This data compiled by the EPA for the full year showed compliance with the
annual AQS. The AQS Regulations specify a minimum of 90% data capture for continuous
measurement of NO2 over the period considered by the limit value (12 months). The data
presented in Table 9.5 below represents 8% data capture and is therefore not entirely
representative of conditions at the site.
Table 9.5 Results of NO2, SO2, and VOCs (Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, and Xylene)
monitoring (Refer to Figure 8.2)
Location NO2 SO2 Benzene Toluene Ethylbenzene Xylene
Number μg/m 3 μg/m 3 μg/m 3 μg/m 3 μg/m 3 μg/m 3
Limit
Value
40 20 5 400 500 100
1 35.8 0.9 1.08 3.46 0.48 2.04
2 48 0.3 1.18 3.69 0.91 2.34
3 43 0.6 1.69 5.42 1.65 3.77
4 40.4 0.8 1.15 3.57 1.00 2.43
5 29.7 0.6 0.99 3.31 0.65 1.91
Table 9.6 Results of NO2 EPA Monitoring in the Dublin Region (October 2006)
Average 24-Hour NO2
Location
μg/m 3
Ballyfermot 38.5
Winetavern Street 57.2
Rathmines 40.5
Coleraine Street 65.3
Results of SO2 monitoring were within the annual limit of 20µg/m 3 outlined in the AQS.
Results of toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene are all less than 5% of the C-Values.
December 2007 Page 146