Air quality
Management of air quality is done to protect communities and the environment from the bad effects of air pollution.
The importance of clean air
Clean air is fundamental to life and health and is a human right. Clean air is also a taonga for Māori.
The human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment — United Nationsexternal link
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates air pollution is associated with 6.7 million premature deaths each year. This is largely due to increased mortality from:
- ischaemic heart disease
- stroke
- chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- acute lower respiratory infections
- lung cancer.
Around 4.2 million of these deaths were caused by outdoor (ambient) air pollution. Indoor air pollution caused for the rest. Air pollution is recognised as the single biggest environmental threat to human health.
Air quality in Aotearoa New Zealand
The HAPINZ 3.0 study estimates that in 2016, the health outcomes due to human-made air pollution caused:
- the premature deaths of more than 3,300 people aged 30 or older
- more than 13,100 hospital admissions for respiratory and cardiac illnesses
- over 13,200 cases of childhood asthma, including 845 hospitalisations
- about 1.75 million restricted activity days — days people could not do something due to air pollution.
Of the more than 3,300 deaths, about:
- 2,000 were from with nitrogen dioxide (NO2) pollution — mainly from motor vehicles
- 1,300 were from fine particulate (PM2.5) pollution — largely from domestic fires.
While air pollution impacts many people's health, some groups are affected more than others. The groups include:
- older people
- tamariki
- people with pre-existing heart or lung disease
- people with respiratory conditions like asthma
- diabetics
- pregnant women.
HAPINZ 3.0 — Environmental Health Intelligence New Zealandexternal link
HAPINZ 3.0: Findings and implications — Environmental Health Intelligence New Zealandexternal link
Managing air quality
The management requirements for air quality are:
- primarily outlined under the Resource Management Act (1991)
- implemented through the National Environmental Standards for Air Quality.
The standards set limits for allowable levels of air pollution and regional planning .
National Environmental Standards for Air Quality — Ministry for the Environmentexternal link
The implications for air quality are also considered under:
- the Land Transport Management Act
- associated land transport strategies.
In September 2021, the WHO published updated global air quality guidelines. These are not standards or legally binding criteria in New Zealand. But they do offer evidence-informed recommendations on air quality levels that pose important risks to public health.
Global air quality guidelines — WHOexternal link
Ministry of Health commissioned PHF Science to summarise the science behind the 2021 WHO air quality guidelines.
Factsheets on WHO air quality guidelines — PHF Scienceexternal link
Air quality monitoring by region
Outdoor air is monitored for key air pollutants by regional councils and unitary authorities. Land Air Water Aotearoa has information about air quality monitoring in each region.