Lead

Petter's 2-stroke Petrol-Paraffin Oil Engine

A Petter's 2-stroke Petrol-Paraffin Oil Engine. Many engines like this can be viewed at Stradbally Steam Rally.

Courtesy of Sean McEvoy, Mountmellick, Co Laois.

Petter's 2-stroke Petrol-Paraffin Oil Engine
Courtesy of Sean McEvoy, Mountmellick, Co Laois.

Petter's 2-stroke Petrol-Paraffin Oil Engine

A Petter's 2-stroke Petrol-Paraffin Oil Engine. Many engines like this can be viewed at Stradbally Steam Rally.

Courtesy of Sean McEvoy, Mountmellick, Co Laois.

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Over the period 1990-2018, total national lead (Pb) emissions have decreased by 97.0 per cent with the Pb emissions trend largely determined by the Road Transport sector. There was a marked decrease between 1999 and 2005 when the lead content of petrol was reduced. Combustion of fuels in the Residential and Commercial/Institutional sectors is also an important source of Pb (EPA, 2020). 

Excessive exposure to lead can damage the nervous system and can result in seizures and intellectual disabilities.  Even at low doses, lead exposure is associated with damage to the nervous system of foetuses and young children and can damage their organs and inhibit their development.

The main source of ambient lead was, in the past, from vehicles fueled by petrol. Lead used to be added to petrol to prevent ‘engine knocking’ but this practice was phased out in the 1990s and this is reflected in the dramatic drop in levels measured in the environment.

The air quality standard for lead is 0.5 micrograms per cubic metre and all measurements made in Ireland in 2012 were less than one tenth of that limit.  

The graph below shows the annual mean lead concentration in Dublin city centre and suburbs to 2016 and shows that the levels are low and have not been increasing to anywhere near the limit value in recent years.