Where are the worst places for air pollution in Australia? Search by postcode on our interactive map - The Guardian
Where are the worst places for air pollution in Australia? Search by postcode on our interactive map | Air pollution | The Guardian
How bad is air pollution in Australia? Search for your postcode on our interactive map
Air pollution kills millions of people and costs trillions of dollars every year around the world. On average Australia has relatively low levels of air pollution. But many parts of Australia, especially around city centres and mining areas, experience levels much higher than what is considered “safe”.
Pollution levels are disproportionately high in areas where Australians on lower incomes live.
The map below allows you to click and search around the country to see estimated air pollution in any area.
Australia has no systematic national monitoring of air pollution. So experts created this dataset using satellite and land use data, and the monitoring that does exist, to fill in the gaps.
The map shows average estimates of small particles in the air, with a diameter of 2.5 micrometres (PM2.5) in 2018, the most recent non-pandemic year without an extreme bushfire season.
The majority of this kind of air pollution, especially in urban areas, is created from burning fuel. This can be from industrial processes, power stations, vehicles and domestic wood heaters.
Some air pollution is natural, such as from dust. So the level will never be zero. Monitoring in some regional and remote areas is more patchy, which can make some of the estimates unreliable. To account for this we have chosen to hide remote areas of the map by default.
Notes
- Data created by Associate Professor Luke Knibbs from the University of Sydney
- Data provided to Guardian Australia by the Centre for Air pollution, energy and health Research(CARDAT) team
- Data shows predictions from a spatial model of PM2.5 based on land use and satellite image data.
- Data shows average annual air pollution per cubic metre of air (µg/m3) in 2018
- Data is displayed by 2011 mesh block areas
- For some pollutants there are no safe levels, and both high levels of pollution and consistent low levels of pollution can be harmful. Short term exposure to high levels of particulate matter can impact the lungs, while longer-term exposure to low levels can increase the risk of heart disease, among other conditions.
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