Auckland air quality report September 2022

Author:

Louis Boamponsem, Auckland Council Research and Evaluation Unit, RIMU

Source:

Auckland Council Research and Evaluation Unit, RIMU

Publication date:

2022

Topics:

Environment

Extract:

Introduction

Auckland Council continuously collects air quality data to assess compliance with national standards and provide information to aid policy development and evaluation. The data the council collects enables us to quantify ambient air quality in the region and note spatial and temporal variations. This report presents a monthly update on air quality in Auckland. It has four sections: sections A and B present tables and graphics illustrating air quality status in the Auckland region based on the data collected from continuous monitoring sites across the region. For this edition, section C focuses on one monitoring site ̶ Takapuna. Section D provides the monthly 1-hour averages for 2022 and the past five years pollutant concentrations. The monthly update is prepared using validated data which is generally available one month after raw data is collected. This update covers data to July 2022.

Summary

In July 2022, there was no exceedance of the National Environmental Standard for Air Quality (NESAQ). Customs Street site recorded 94 exceedances of NESAQ for nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) (1-hour average) between 09/06/2022 and 17/06/2022. An investigation found that a mobile diesel power generator had been located next to the monitoring station whilst some repair work in the area was being carried out.
The majority of the monitoring sites recorded NO₂concentrations lower than the same period of the previous year (January to July).
As expected, the highest NO₂ concentrations were measured at the city centre sites, although the concentrations are lower than the same period of the previous year.
Most monitoring sites recorded particulate matter (PM₁₀) concentrations higher than the same period of the previous year (January to July).
Compared to the same period of the previous year, there has been a 38% decrease in carbon monoxide (CO) average concentration measured at the Khyber Pass Road monitoring site.
Air quality of a monitoring site can vary from year to year due to weather and other influences and for trend analysis of change see Table 2 and Auckland Air quality report October 2021