Adelaide's Current Air Quality
What is an Air Quality Index?
An Air Quality Index is a scale that indicates the quality of air,
based on air pollutant monitoring data. The index is developed using
a qualitative scale that relates to Australia's air quality standards.
If the air quality is classified as poor, then one or more pollutants
in the air have exceeded the national standard. See below for links
to health information relating to each of the measured pollutants.
Disclaimer: The data used to compile the EPA Air Quality
Index comes directly from EPA's air monitoring stations and is unchecked.
This data may be amended at a later time through a standardised
procedure to allow for instrument errors, power interruptions and
the like. For assessments of validated air quality data, go to EPA
air quality monitoring reports.
How is the EPA Air Quality Index Calculated?
An index for any given pollutant is its concentration expressed
as a percentage of the relevant standard:
| Index= |
Pollutant Concentration
|
x 100 |
|
Pollutant Standard or Goal
|
An index value greater than 100 means the pollutant has exceeded
the relevant air quality standard. The standard is defined by the
National Environment Protection Measure for Air Quality (NEPM) shown
in the table below. To assess the overall air quality at a particular
monitoring station, an index is calculated for each measured pollutant.
The maximum of these figures is taken to be the Air Quality Index
for that monitoring station as it represents the worst of the pollutants
measured. The worst site is then used to summarise Adelaide's air
quality.
The NEPM standards used for the index
| Pollutant |
Standard
Level |
How
calculated |
| Ozone |
0.10 ppm |
the maximum one-hour value in the last 24 hours |
| Nitrogen Dioxide |
0.12 ppm |
| Sulfur Dioxide |
0.20 ppm |
| Carbon Monoxide |
9 ppm |
the maximum eight-hour value
in the last 24 hours |
| Particles (PM10) |
50 ug/m3 |
the one-hour values averaged over
24 hours |
More information about the Air Quality NEPM can be found at www.ephc.gov.au.
The EPA Air Quality Index has five air quality categories ranging
from "very good" to "very poor" as shown in
the table below. Each category has an associated colour.
| Category |
Index range and colour |
| Very Poor Air quality |
150
or greater (Black) |
| Poor Air quality |
100 to 149 (Red) |
| Fair Air quality |
67 to 99 (yellow) |
| Good Air quality |
34 to 66 (green) |
| Very Good Air quality |
0 to
33 (blue) |
The above classification allows for variation in the quality of
the air on a daily basis. If a pollutant is ever classified as poor
or worse - then the standard or goal has been exceeded. The data
used to compile the EPA air quality index come directly from EPA's
air monitoring stations and is unchecked. The raw data is amended
at a later time through a standardised procedure. Validated air
quality data is then assessed and can be found in EPA
air quality monitoring reports.
Air Quality Index for Adelaide and Country Regions
EPA Air Quality 24 hour summary: Friday 25 July 2008, 24 hours up to 08:00
NM = not measured
NA = data not available
Note: Each station's link to a summary graph is represented by a
colour describing the station's air quality classification for the
last 24 hrs.
* The Adelaide Hills monitoring site is situated at Woodside Primary
School and is collecting data for the community education program
SmokeWatch. For more information please visit the SmokeWatch
web site.
About the Summary Table and Graphs
The colours describe each parameter's air quality status. The station's
index is determined by the highest or worst parameter. Not all parameters
are measured at each site. The air quality monitoring station at
Noarlunga is being currently constructed and will begin providing
air quality information by the end of 2004.
Data for a given 24-hour period is available twice daily, 35 minutes
after 9:00am and 5:00pm. Data may be unavailable after this time
due to instrument errors and power interruptions and the like. Such
data is shown in the table as NA.
The times shown in graphs are all in Central Standard Time (CST)
format. This is done to maintain consistency with all other NEPM
air monitoring data. When viewing the graphs, simply add an extra
hour during daylight saving time. For example, graphs produced in
the morning end at 9.00 am (8.00 am CST).
Adelaide Air Quality Index Graph for Last
24 Hours
Adelaide's air quality for the last 24 hours is described in this
graph  .
The graph describes maximum one-hourly variations in the index over
the 24 hours.
Adelaide's Weekly Air Quality Index - Trend
Graph
This graph
describes maximum one-hour variations in the index over the last
week. The graph may give an indication of when and how long a particular
category of air quality persisted. This graph is updated once a
day (5.35 pm).
Map of the EPA Adelaide Air Quality Index Sites
and Regions
Adelaide's Air Quality Index is currently determined from data
collected at four ambient air-monitoring stations. These stations
represent air quality for the four regions shown on the map opposite.
Each region has a number of different sources of air pollution as
each has different types of industry, housing densities and road
networks. Levels of air pollution in each region are therefore dependent
on these pollution sources and winds, which will transport and recirculate
pollution throughout Adelaide's metropolitan area and beyond. Major
industrial point sources and major roads are shown.
To view a larger image of the Adelaide map, click on the image
on the right.
A map of the Whyalla and Port
Pirie monitoring sites is also available.
The table below describes which local government area corresponds
to each region. The regions should only be used as an approximate
guide to determine which site may most accurately represent air
quality in your local area.
| Region |
Local
Government Area |
| Northern Adelaide |
Gawler, Playford, Port Adelaide Enfield, Salisbury
and Tea Tree Gully |
| Eastern Adelaide |
Norwood Paynehem and St Peters,
Walkerville, Unley, Adelaide, Burnside, Mitcham, Prospect, Campbelltown |
| Western Adelaide |
West Torrens, Marion, Holdfast Bay, Charles Sturt |
| Southern Adelaide |
Onkaparinga |
| Whyalla region |
Whyalla |
| Port Pirie region |
Port Pirie |
Health Related Information
The National Environment Protection Council (NEPC) of Environment
Ministers meeting in Adelaide on 26th June 1998, set uniform standards
for ambient air quality (ambient air does not include indoor air).
These standards are contained in the National Environment Protection
Measure (NEPM) for ambient air quality.
The Ambient Air Quality Final Impact Statement for the National
Environment Protection Measure comprehensively details the health
effects of each of the pollutants and can be downloaded at www.ephc.gov.au
The paper, Air
Quality and Human Health, reviews the state of knowledge of
the impacts of air quality on human health up until June 1995 for
the 1996 State of the Environment report. The document also identifies
methods for quantifying the impacts of air quality on health (Peach
H. 1997, Air
Quality and Human Health, Australia : State of the Environment
Technical Paper Series (The Atmosphere), Department of the Environment,
Canberra).
Links to other Australian Air Quality Index
Sites
Victorian Environment Protection Authority Air Quality Index
www.epa.vic.gov.au/air/bulletins
New South Wales Environment Protection Authority Air Quality Index
www.environment.nsw.gov.au/airqual/aqupd.asp
Queensland Environmental Protection Agency
www.epa.qld.gov.au/projects/air/
Towards a National Environment Australia : Air Quality Index
www.deh.gov.au/atmosphere/airquality/index.html
Contact the EPA
For further information about the Air Quality Index:
Phone: (61 8) 8204 2004
Freecall (country callers): 1800 623 445
Fax: (61 8) 8204 9393
Email: epainfo@saugov.sa.gov.au
This page was last modified 06-05-2008
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