Primark fire 'may have caused lead spike in air'

The Primark fire in Belfast in 2018 may have caused a big temporary spike in concentrations of lead in the city's air.

An air quality report referenced the blaze as a possible cause.

Normally lead levels are about five nanograms per cubic metre of air, but readings in 2018 showed levels at 212 nanograms.

The fire at the city centre premises burned for three days after starting on 28 August that year.

"The cause of this isolated high measurement is not certain, though the measurement period coincided with a serious building fire in the city centre," the report said.

The four-week period when lead levels were measured started the week before the Primark fire which broke out on August 28th.

Lead levels later dropped and the annual measurement for Belfast of 20 nanograms of lead per cubic metre of air was well within both EU and UK targets.

The report published by the Department of Agriculture Environment and Rural Affairs covered air quality in Northern Ireland in 2018.

It showed a number of issues linked to vehicle emissions in Downpatrick, Belfast and Dungiven.

The longer term trend of such pollution is down in Belfast, but up in Downpatrick.

Meanwhile DAERA has launched a new air quality app which allows people to get up to date information on air quality and pollution forecasts.

The Northern Ireland Air app also sends out push alerts and provides health advice for people with conditions linked to air quality.

"Interest in the quality of the air we breathe has grown massively over recent years, and this new app allows people with underlying health issues such as heart and lung conditions, or asthma to get more localised information when they need it," DAERA minister Edwin Poots said.

Air quality has improved and further measures are being taken to continue that, including the development of a Clean Air Strategy and the extension of the Glider public transport network to north and south Belfast.