Real-time air quality data for Tasmania

Welcome

The interactive map below presents the most recently available (real-time) indicative particle concentration data for the Tasmania air quality monitoring stations. This includes data from the major air stations at Hobart, Launceston and Rowella (with George Town to be added soon) as well as the new BLANkET stations distributed around the state. To view the data from either of these networks of stations, click on the button directly below, otherwise each station's available data can be accessed via the map. A button link has also been provided for the older style unvalidated data from the major stations for yesterday, the most recent week and the most recent month.

Please Note: Users of these pages are deemed to have read the information about real-time air quality measurements from the major air stations as well as the important information about BLANkET data.

Available real-time air quality data

Particle concentration data are listed on the map as "Station Abbreviation: (PM₁₀, PM_2.5)". The Station Abbreviation list is given on the map. Indicative particle concentrations are given inmicrograms per cubic metre (µg m^-3). Information about air quality standards is given below the map.

Click on a station location square on the map to obtain a current plot. Click on the 'Key' at left of the map toobtain a summary table of air quality at either the major stations or from the BLANkET network. Data plots are alsoaccessible from these table pages.

Smoke will give a high PM_2.5 signal. High PM₁₀ levels without corresponding high PM_2.5 levels arise from dustand/or sea-salt aerosols. Please see the important information about BLANkET data for more discussion of this. PM_2.5 values below 5 µg m^-3 signify very clear air. On a smoky winter's evening in Hobart or Launceston PM_2.5 may be near 50 µg m^-3 for several hours.

Use your 'Refresh' or 'Reload' button on your browser (or press F5) to update the map. There will be no updates between 1 am and 4 am each morning due to server maintenance.

Air Quality data

A '?' is given if data are not available for any reason or if a TEOM instrument reports a negative concentration. This can happen due to the evaporation of volatile compounds on the TEOM filter. Such events are usually of short duration. If at any station the instantaneous PM₁₀ is over 50 µg m^-3 or PM_2.5 is over 25 µg m^-3 the station listing will turn red. This does not signify a breach of air quality standards, but provides an indication of elevated particle levels.

Air Quality Standards:

The National Environmental Protection (Ambient Air Quality) Measure (known as the Air NEPM) stipulates air quality standards in Australia. For PM₁₀there is a 24-hour standard of 50 µg m^-3 (50 millionth of a gram per cubic metre). That is, if PM₁₀ levels measured by a reference instrument averaged over a calendar day exceeds 50 µg m^-3, an exceedence of the standard is recorded. The Air NEPM stipulates that the reporting interval is the calendar day (midnight to midnight). For PM_2.5, an advisory 24-hour (calendar day) reporting limit is set at 25 µg m^-3. It is likely that this reporting limit will become a national standard in the future. Currently there are no national standards for PM₁₀ or PM_2.5 for intervals shorter than 24 hours.

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