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Historic Content you are reading content from a previous reporting year.

Showing 30 of 33 results

Metropolitan cities' scorecard for particles (PM2.5) NEPM 24-hour standard, based on analysis of air quality index values, 2009-2014

2016
Ambient air quality
State and trends
Assessment summary

Ambient air quality State and trends Fine particulate matter (PM2.5)Air toxics Year...

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Metropolitan cities' scorecard for particles (PM10) NEPM 24-hour standard, based on analysis of air quality index values, 1999-2014

2016, 2011
Ambient air quality
State and trends
Assessment summary

This assessment summary component has changed from 2011. This assessment summary was previously assessed for the years 1999-2008 for the 2011 report. The original 2011 summary, grade, trend and confidence levels have been replicated here to assist comparison of changes between...

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Metropolitan cities' scorecard for ozone (four-hour) NEPM standard, based on analysis of air quality index values 1999-2014

2016, 2011
Ambient air quality
State and trends
Assessment summary

This assessment summary component has changed from 2011. This assessment summary was previously assessed for the years 1999-2008  The original 2011 summary, grade, trend and confidence levels have been replicated here to assist comparison of changes between reporting cycles. ...

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Industrial point sources

2016
Ambient air quality
Risks
Report Content
... only at the neighbourhood level, but more generally at the airshed level. During the past 50 years, state and territory ... to be more important threats to urban air quality at an airshed scale. ...
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Commercial and other domestic sources

2016
Ambient air quality
Risks
Report Content
... risk to amenity and health at both neighbourhood and airshed scales. Collectively, domestic and commercial sources ...
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Approach - Atmosphere 2016

2016
Atmosphere
Report Content

2016 Atmosphere In this report, we assess the state of Australia’s atmosphere through an assessment of Australia’s climate and the effects of climate change, and ambient air quality. The approach adopted in this report follows that outlined in the...

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Resilience of Australia’s air quality 2016

2016
Ambient air quality
Resilience
At a glance

At a glanceThe frequency, duration and severity of episodes of poor air quality in urban centres are influenced by short-term meteorological conditions, in combination with local topography and/or atypical emissions. Air quality is usually restored to acceptable levels once the immediate...

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Commercial and other domestic sources

2016
Ambient air quality
Pressures
Report Content
... separately) exert pressure on local air quality and on airshed quality. Domestic sources, for example, can affect ...
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Pressures affecting Australia’s air quality 2016

2016
Ambient air quality
Pressures
At a glance

At a glanceAustralian ambient air quality is mostly affected by increasing human activity and climate change. The population of Australia’s major cities continues to increase, with both increasing urban density and expanding boundaries. The corresponding increase in emissions from transport...

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Increasing population

2016
Ambient air quality
Pressures
Report Content
... anthropogenic emissions, to occupy a larger portion of the airshed (a region where topography and meteorology limit the ...
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Pressures affecting ambient air quality

2016, 2011
Ambient air quality
Pressures
Assessment summary

Ambient air quality Pressures Prescribed burning and bushfiresIncreasing populationNonregulated diesel engines, including shipping and nonroad transportCommercial and other domestic sourcesDomestic wood heatersIndustryMotor...

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Regional cities' scorecard for particles (PM10) NEPM 24-hour standard, based on analysis of air quality index values, 1999-2014

2016, 2011
Ambient air quality
State and trends
Assessment summary

This assessment summary component has changed from 2011. The period for the 2011 assessment was from 1999-2008 The original 2011 summary, grade, trend and confidence levels have been replicated here to assist comparison of changes between reporting cycles. Regional cities’...

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Overview of resilience of the atmosphere

2016
Atmosphere
Resilience
Report Content

2016 Atmosphere Resilience Climate The Atmosphere report considers both the resilience of the climate system itself and the resilience of our society to climate change. Our planet is somewhat resilient to increasing...

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Nonregulated diesel engines, including shipping and nonroad transport

2016
Ambient air quality
Pressures
Report Content

2016 Ambient air quality Pressures Murray Darling Greater Sydney Nonroad diesel engines and equipment are used in a wide variety of applications, including rail...

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Management framework

2016
Ambient air quality
Effectiveness of management
Report Content

2016 Ambient air quality Effectiveness of management Greater Sydney Each level of government—Australian, state and territory, and local—plays a role in managing the impacts of air pollution by...

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Coarse particulate matter (PM10)

2016
Ambient air quality
State and trends
Report Content

2016 Ambient air quality State and trends Greater Brisbane Greater Darwin Greater Hobart Greater Adelaide Australian...

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Regional cities' scorecard for ozone NEPM 4-hour standard, based on analysis of air quality index values, 1998-2014

2016, 2011
Ambient air quality
State and trends
Assessment summary

This assessment summary component has changed from 2011. The assessment summary in 2011 was assessed for the years 1999-2008 The original 2011 summary, grade, trend and confidence levels have been replicated here to assist comparison of changes between reporting cycles....

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Executive Summary - Atmosphere

2016
Atmosphere
Executive Summary

Atmosphere 2016Climate change is a global problem, and minimising its impact on the Australian environment will require coordinated international action by all countries. The Paris Agreement, to which 195 countries have agreed, aims to hold the increase in the...

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Outlook for Australia's air quality

2016
Ambient air quality
Outlook
At a glance

At a glanceThe outlook for Australia’s urban air quality is generally good. However, there is strong evidence that periods of poor urban air quality can have serious adverse long-term and short-term impacts on human health (particularly on the health of susceptible individuals). Although...

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Effectiveness of atmospheric management

2016, 2011
Ambient air quality
Effectiveness of management
Assessment summary

Ambient air quality Effectiveness of management Management of sources of pollutionManagement frameworkIndoor air quality...

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Air toxics

2016
Ambient air quality
State and trends
Report Content

2016 Ambient air quality State and trends North East Coast South Western Plateau Tasmania Greater Brisbane Greater...

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Management of sources of pollution

2016
Ambient air quality
Effectiveness of management
Report Content

2016 Ambient air quality Effectiveness of management South East Coast South Australian Gulf East Coast Greater Sydney...

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Pressures affecting stratospheric ozone, ambient air quality and indoor air quality

2011
Ambient air quality
Pressures
Assessment summary

Ambient air quality Pressures Indoor air quality Year...

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Ambient air quality

2011
Ambient air quality
Risks
Report Content
... only at the neighbourhood level, but more generally at the airshed level. During the past 30 or so years, state and ...
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Ambient air quality

2011
Ambient air quality
Pressures
Report Content
... the varying levels of air quality experienced in an urban airshed. ...
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3 Atmosphere | 3 Ambient air quality and other atmospheric issues | 3.4 Resilience of Australia's atmosphere

2011
Ambient air quality
Resilience
At a glance

At a glanceRecent simulations of the continuing effects of controls under the Montreal Protocol indicate that the time for total column ozone (i.e. the ozone in a column of air between the ground and outer space) to recover to 1980 benchmark levels will vary with latitude and will occur last...

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Ambient air quality in Australia’s major urban centres is generally good.

2011
Atmosphere
Key Finding

2011National health-based standards are rarely exceeded for prolonged periods, and very high levels of pollution are usually associated with short-lived extreme events such as bushfires and dust storms that generate very high levels of particulate pollution. Levels of carbon monoxide,...

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Ambient air quality

2011
Ambient air quality
Resilience
Report Content

2011 Ambient air quality Resilience Australia’s metropolitan cities all experience episodes of poor air quality (measured in terms of particulate pollution, or pollution by ozone and its precursors NOx and VOCs). The...

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3 Atmosphere | 3 Ambient air quality and other atmospheric issues | 3.2 Pressures affecting Australia's atmosphere

2011
Ambient air quality
Pressures
At a glance

At a glanceNitrous oxide, an ozone depleting substance and a greenhouse gas (GHG), is produced by a variety of natural and human-related sources (notably agricultural processes). Although its ozone depleting potential is low relative to chlorofluorocarbon-11 (CFC-11), human emissions are at...

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Ambient air quality

2011
Ambient air quality
State and trends
Report Content

2011 Ambient air quality State and trends Ambient air quality and health Although air pollution can harm vegetation, erode the facades of historic stone buildings and limit visibility, the main focus of public concern...

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Australia State of the Environment 2016 has been prepared by independent experts using the best available information to support assessments of environmental condition, pressures, management effectiveness, resilience, risks and outlook.

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