Australia’s air quality is better than in many other comparable countries, 3 CROSSES ENERGY is ensuring that air quality is protected into the future. Even small improvements in air quality can achieve benefits for human health and wellbeing.

Ambient air quality standards

The National Environment Protection Council (NEPC) made Australia’s first national ambient air quality standards as part of the National Environment Protection Measure for Ambient Air Quality (the ‘Air NEPM’).

The NEPC is a statutory body with law making powers established under the National Environment Protection Council Act. Air quality is assessed against the national ambient air quality standards set for pollutants in the National Environment Protection (Ambient Air Quality) Measure (AAQ NEPM). Air quality is also compared to an air quality index (AQI) as a guide for people who are especially sensitive to air pollution.

In the AQI, air quality is rated Very Good if pollution levels are less than a third of the standard; Good if levels are between one-third and two-thirds of the standard; Fair if levels are between two-thirds and 99 per cent of the standard; and Poor to Very Poor if levels are more than 100 per cent of the standard or more.

NEPM sets national standards for the six key air pollutants to which most Australians are exposed: carbon monoxide, ozone, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, lead and particles.

Carbon monoxide

Carbon monoxide forms during incomplete combustion and its main sources are motor vehicles and other combustion activities.

Peak carbon monoxide levels generally achieve a Very Good air quality rating and are less than one-third to one-fifth of the national standard in all regions. Carbon monoxide levels have declined across Australia in the last decade largely because of improved emission controls on motor vehicles.

Nitrogen dioxide

Nitrogen dioxide is a product of combustion and its main sources are motor vehicle exhaust, electricity generation and other combustion-related activities.

Peak nitrogen dioxide levels achieve a Good to Very Good air quality rating in all regions.

Levels of nitrogen dioxide have generally remained fairly steady in the last decade, but have decreased from some two decades ago. Nitrogen dioxide is still a pollutant of concern because of its role as a precursor for ozone formation.

Sulfur dioxide

In Australia the main sources of sulfur dioxide are electricity generation from coal, oil or gas and processing of metal and mineral ores that contain sulfur. Sulfur dioxide levels are low in urban areas across Australia for all of the averaging times and achieve a Very Good air quality rating. No urban sites exceed the national standards.

Sulfur dioxide levels are higher in regional towns near industrial centres with smelting operations. In these regions, levels commonly exceed the standard and the air quality rating can occasionally be Poor to Very Poor.

Lead

Lead levels have decreased significantly in urban environments over the last two decades after the introduction of unleaded petrol. Levels are now less than 10 per cent of the national standard.

Lead levels are high in some regional towns with large industrial point source and levels exceed the national standards.

Lead differs from the other air pollutants in that it stays in the environment and can enter the body by breathing in contaminated air or by ingesting contaminated dust, food or water.

Health impacts of air pollution

High concentrations of the major air pollutants are associated with respiratory problems such as coughs, bronchitis, asthma and, in severe cases, developmental problems in children, and even death. The economic benefits from reducing air pollution include savings in health expenditure and fewer sick days by employees.

Air pollution is an important public health issue and imposes high health and monetary costs on the community and governments.

Air quality management

Air quality management in Australia is complex and responsibilities lie with all levels of government—federal, state and local. At the
national and state level, air quality management focuses on monitoring air quality to ensure it meets national air quality standards; and on implementing programs (both regulatory and non-regulatory) to reduce emission directly from pollution sources.

To date, national vehicle emissions standards and fuel quality standards have greatly contributed to reducing emissions from motor vehicles and improving air quality. These improvements are expected to continue in the future. Targeted pollutant reduction activities carried out by individual states and territories have also been successful.

The national ambient air quality standards are currently being reviewed to consider whether any should be modified based on the available health evidence.

Air quality outlook

Future developments in population and economic growth and energy consumption—the driving forces of air pollution—and the associated abatement policies designed to limit pollution emissions, will largely determine the outlook for Australia’s air quality in the next couple of decades.

Global climate change is predicted to have a range of impacts on ambient air quality in the coming decades, and this is another factor that could determine the outlook for air quality in Australia.

The predicted higher temperatures and drier weather from global climate change is expected to increase the frequency and severity of dust storms and bushfires and result in higher photochemical activity and emissions of ozone precursors. This leads to more smog and higher ozone and particle levels in many locations. Significant decreases in ozone or particulate matter pollution are unlikely in the foreseeable future, given current trends in these pollutants, and the predicted growth in motor vehicle use and the effect of climate change.

Because air pollutants and greenhouse gases are often emitted by the same sources, policies put in place to reduce greenhouse gas emissions will influence air quality.