Welcome to Hawke's Bay Regional Council’s website page on air pollutants.
Air quality in the Hawke's Bay is generally very good. Air pollutants can be found in air anywhere - outdoors and indoors – at various levels, and are used as indicators of air quality.
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Air quality in Hawke’s Bay is generally very good for most of the time. An exception is on calm, cold winter nights in urban areas, when concentrations of fine smoke particles (PM10) can build up, sometimes to unhealthy levels.
As we live in a strong agricultural and cropping setting, windblown dust or dirt can also be a problem in times when ploughing is happening at the same time strong winds are active. Other air quality issues are generally localised, such as odour and agrichemical spraydrift which can create problems for neighbours if the sources are not well managed. For these there are best practice standards which industry groups encourage members to comply with.
The Regional Council monitors a number of key ambient (outdoor) air quality parameters, which are now included in National Environmental Standards (NES).
The standards for these pollutants are based on criteria that relate to health and/or environmental effects. Council monitoring shows that the parameters are within safe levels in Hawke’s Bay, with the exception of PM10.
Key ambient air quality parameters are:
[Thanks to Auckland Regional Council for the useful information on their website about the air pollutants carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and sulphur dioxide.]
What is PM10?
PM10 is particles (Particulate Matter) in the air which are smaller than 10 microns, or 1/100th of a millimetre, in size.
What are the health effects of PM10?
PM10 particles are so small that they don’t settle but behave more like a gas. This has health implications because the particles are too small to be filtered out by our nose and throat, enabling them to penetrate deeply into our lungs. This can cause a range of respiratory and cardiovascular problems in the elderly, the very young, and people with existing conditions or allergies.
Summary of the health effects from air pollution in New Zealand (HAPINZ)
What are the sources of PM10?
PM10 typically arises from smoke sources like domestic heating fires, but some also comes from motor vehicle emissions (especially diesel vehicles), and industry. Sea spray, pollen and wind blown dust are natural sources of particles in the air.
What do we have to do about PM10?
The National Environmental Standards (NES) for Air Quality was released by the Ministry for the Environment in October 2004.
These standards require, by the year 2013, that PM10 levels do not exceed an average of 50 μg/m3 each day for more than one day a year. Regional Councils throughout New Zealand need to find ways to comply. Currently Hawke's Bay Regional Council has completed research (link to Air quality monitoring and Research page) to increase our understanding of the extent of the problem.