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Otago Daily Times
2 days ago
- Health
- Otago Daily Times
Air pollution uneven across town: research
Research shows air quality is not consistent across Gore — instead air pollution gathers in two specific areas of the town. A study from Niwa indicated during winter last year, Environment Southland contributed funding to place 28 clarity monitors that measure PM2.5 levels to assess the variation in air quality across Gore. PM2.5 and PM10 are types of particulate matter small enough to be inhaled and reach deep into the lungs and are used as indicators of air quality. Environment Southland said in a statement the monitors were deployed in a uniform grid across the urban area of the town and measured the PM2.5 levels daily between April 22 and June 25. Environment Southland team leader air and terrestrial science Dr Nick Talbot said the council funded the project because it had the responsibility to monitor air quality in its airsheds. "Part of that responsibility is determining whether the permanent air monitoring station is in the right place. "Gore has only had two exceedances of the National Standards for Air Quality in four years, both of which were last year. "While that looks great on the surface, we wanted to ensure that it was an accurate reflection of what the air quality was for the town. "We need to make sure the monitoring station is located in the right area to measure correctly." The work revealed one large area in the southwest of the town and another smaller area in East Gore experienced higher levels of air pollution in winter. "Plumes of smoke are found not to move as freely in Gore as in Invercargill. Instead, they pool in specific locations due to hilly topography and airflow. "This work clearly shows that the monitoring site adopted by council is on the fringe of the correct location to accurately represent the concentrations of pollution in the worst affected areas of Gore." The amount of air pollution in those areas compared with the rest of the grid clearly indicated the number of homes using fireplaces was the cause, Dr Talbot said. As a result, a temporary testing site has been placed in West Gore for two years to measure the air quality throughout winter. "Our message for those at home this winter is that home heating is one area where people can make the biggest difference to our air quality. "Not only does burning wet wood create a large amount of smoke, it gives off much less warmth than dry wood." Environment Southland operates a Good Wood approved suppliers' scheme, in which firewood retailers voluntarily agree to supply wood at the recommended moisture level of less than 25%. — APL
Otago Daily Times
06-05-2025
- Climate
- Otago Daily Times
Call to practise good burning habits over winter
Southlanders are being asked to work together to ensure the air is cleaner for everyone this winter by practising good burning habits. Environment Southland air and terrestrial science team leader Dr Nick Talbot said in a statement winter was when Southland experienced its poorest air quality, particularly in the urban areas of Invercargill and Gore. "Home heating is one area where people can make the biggest difference to our air quality," he said. "Not only does burning wet wood create a large amount of smoke, it gives off much less warmth than dry wood." Dr Talbot attributed the sharp decline in exceedances in 2019 and since 2021 to people changing the way they used their burners. "The decrease of PM10 exceedances in the Invercargill airshed in 2019 and since 2021 is due to several factors, one of those being the change in burning behaviour, with people using more dry wood and less banking of fireplaces, resulting in the overall emissions of air pollutants dropping." He also believed phasing out older burners alongside cleaner forms of home heating being installed contributed to the decrease. Air Quality Collective director Ian Longley said weather also affected the readings. "Air quality emission trends are always difficult to see ... because air quality is also very sensitive to changes in the weather. Two thousand and nineteen was a good year for air quality weather-wise (windier and/or not as cold) and 2020 was a bad year (calmer/colder)." But where the readings had shown an increase in the latter data, he suspected some of the initial changes had not been sustained over the longer period. Environment Southland's winter air quality monitoring season runs from May 1 to August 31. The regional air plan includes rules to help improve air quality in the Invercargill and Gore airsheds. Open fires are now prohibited and non-compliant burners are being progressively phased out. For those outside the airsheds, consented fireplaces of any kind may still be used, as long as they are not used with prohibited fuels such as rubbish and treated wood. Outdoor burning is prohibited within the Invercargill and Gore airsheds. Those outside the airsheds can continue to burn but must adhere to a number of rules, including not burning prohibited items such as baleage wrap and treated timber. "During the damp, shorter days of winter, outdoor fires tend to produce more smoke, which can be a nuisance to your neighbours. Elevated smoke levels increase the risk of hazardous particulates accumulating, leading to potential health impacts and the possibility of exceeding air quality standards," Dr Talbot said. Environment Southland operates a Good Wood-approved suppliers' scheme, in which firewood retailers voluntarily agree to supply wood at the recommended moisture level of less than 25%. - Toni McDonald
