Pollution Data for Launceston
The ambient air quality monitoring station for Launceston is located at Ti Tree Bend, approximately 2.5km north-west of the city centre. Regular monitoring of airborne particles has been conducted at this site since 1992, providing valuable records showing the long-term trends in Launceston's air quality.
Since 2005, the station has undergone some upgrades as part of a four year $800,000 program aimed at bringing Tasmania's ambient air quality monitoring system into line with the National Environment Protection Measure (NEPM) for Ambient Air Quality 
.
To view Tasmania's progress towards meeting the Air NEPM see the Air NEPM Annual Reports.
There is a strong seasonal cycle of air pollution in Launceston, with lowest levels occurring during the warmer months and greatest levels during the cold months between May and August. This occurs because there are more woodsmoke particles released during winter, associated with wood heaters and open fireplaces, and the atmosphere is least able to effectively disperse pollutants due to more frequent calm conditions often associated with temperature inversions.
Over the last 10years there has been a gradual decrease in the number of exceedences of the National PM10 Standard each year, from 50 exceedences in 1997 down to 6 exceedences in 2006. The National goal allows for only five exceedences of the National PM10 Standard per year and, for the first time, in 2007 this goal was met with only 5 exceedences of the Standard recorded.
Most of the data is maintained in an Access database, which is used to manage and analyse the data. Using the links below you can view tabular and graphical information about the air quality in Launceston:
Graph of daily pollution readings
Graphs of daily pollution readings for each month
Graphs of daily pollution readings for each month
Graphs of daily pollution readings for each month
Graph of daily pollution reading 1 January - 31 July
Graph of daily pollution readings 2005.
Graph of daily pollution readings in 2004.
Graph of daily pollution readings in 2003.
Graph of daily pollution readings in 2002.
Graph of daily pollution readings in 2001.
Graph of daily pollution readings in 2000.
Graph of maximum yearly pollution readings and the yearly average.
Measurements have been made at Ti Tree Bend for over 14 years, so it is possible to see trends over time. This graph shows each daily measurement since 1992 as a dot. This graph clearly shows the strong seasonal cycle, with lowest levels occurring during the warmer months and greatest levels during the cold months between May and August.
Graph of average monthly pollution readings from 1992 to 2005.
Graph of average monthly pollution readings from 1992 to 1995. Readings were taken on average every 6 days.
Graph of pollution readings from 1996 to 1999. Readings were taken on average every day.
This site meets all the requirements of the relevant Australian Standards for an air quality monitoring station. Pollution measurements over several years have demonstrated that the air quality at Ti Tree Bend is a reliable indication of the overall air quality in the Launceston area.
Daily monitoring has been conducted at Ti Tree Bend since 1997. The following graph outlines the number of exceedences of the air pollution goals in Launceston during that time. The number of exceedences appears to be decreasing over time. If the trend continues, by 2008 the number of exceedences should be below the National goal of no more than five exceedences per year.
Many people are aware of high wood smoke concentrations at some time during the day and may be later surprised if the day doesn’t breach the national standard. The graph for the hypothetical day shows that relatively high concentrations can be experienced for long periods at a time, but because of the lower concentrations experienced at night and during the late morning the daily average falls below the national standard.
Woodsmoke pollution is associated with the cooler months of the year when the days are still and when woodheaters are used to a greater degree. Therefore it is not surprising that exceedences of air pollution standards generally occur between May and August. Averaged out over the last 10 years of Launceston data, over 70% percent of the worst pollution days occur during the winter months or 98% during autumn and winter combined.
See also
Further Information
For more information, please contact:
Air Specialist
134 Macquarie Street
GPO Box 1751
Hobart TAS 7001
Phone: 03 6233 3373
Fax: 03 6233 3800
Email: EnvironmentEnquiries@environment.tas.gov.au