Question Without Notice No. 223 asked in the Legislative Council on 5 May 2005 by Hon Lynn Maclaren
Parliament: 37 Session: 1
PARTICULATE MATTER CONCENTRATIONS
223. Hon LYNN MacLAREN to the minister representing the Minister for the Environment:
(1) Is the minister aware of the report produced by the Department of Environment entitled “Research on Health and Air Pollution in Perth Morbidity and Mortality: A Case-Crossover Analysis 1992-1997 dated May 2003”?
(2) Is the minister aware that this report confirms, for the first time, that changes in daily particulate matter of 2.5 microns concentrations were found to be significantly associated with respiratory disease and asthma hospitalisation in the metropolitan area, particularly for the elderly and those aged under 14, and, if not, why not?
(3) Given that this data shows a significant impact on public health from small particulate air pollution, has the minister ensured that her department is monitoring for PM 2.5 at all current departmental air monitoring stations?
(a) If yes, please provide details of all monitoring stations that record PM 2.5 levels; and
(b) if no, why not?
(4) As industry emissions are noted as a principal source of PM 2.5, how many air monitoring stations record PM 2.5 levels around the Kwinana industrial area?
(5) Will the minister be requiring collection of PM 2.5 air concentration data at all existing monitoring stations in the Kwinana area?
(a) If yes, from what date, and
(b) if no, why not?
Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied:
I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question. The Minister for the Environment has provided a response and it appears to be quite lengthy. I seek leave to have the answer incorporated into Hansard.
Leave granted.
The following material was incorporated -
I thank the Hon. Member for some notice of this question. The Minister for the Environment; Science has provided the following response:
The Minister for the Environment has provided the following response:
1. Yes.
2. Yes.
3. The Department of Environment currently monitors for PM2.5 at both Duncraig and Bunbury, and also monitored PM2.5 at Caversham between 1994 and 2004.
4. The Minister has been advised that the Department is not aware of studies indicating that industry emissions are a principal source of PM2.5. The Department’s information indicates that industrial emissions likely account for approximately 15-20% of PM2.5 levels. The majority of PM2.5 in ambient air is understood to be a result of combustion sources, both man made (eg. motor vehicles, industry, planned burns and domestic sources such as woodheaters) and natural combustion processes (eg. wildfire).
The siting of the above monitors was decided upon as a result of modelling work indicating that high smoke haze would be experienced at both sites. Duncraig, a high density northern suburb, experiences elevated levels due to wood heater use during winter and Bunbury, a large regional centre, due to the impacts of wood heater use and the frequency of wildfires and controlled burns.
There are currently no PM2.5 monitoring stations in the Kwinana area. However, PM10 has been monitored at a number of locations in the Kwinana area since 1998. Additionally the Perth Background Air Quality (Air Toxics) Study will be including the installation of two PM2.5 monitors in the Kwinana area, the locations for which are being negotiated with the local community.
5. The two new monitoring sites to be located in the Kwinana Industrial Area will be sited in areas of community concern as described in question 4. Once representative data are collected (eg. over a year), the need for monitoring will be reviewed.