Air quality monitoring report for Hamilton, Tokoroa, Taupō, Te Kuiti, Putaruru, Turangi, Cambridge and Te Awamutu-Kihikihi – 2013

TR 2014/05
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Report: TR 2014/05

Author: J Caldwell

About this report

Air quality monitoring in the Waikato region focuses primarily on concentrations of PM10, the main air contaminant of concern.

The National Environmental Standards for Air Quality (NESAQ) has set a maximum concentration limit for PM10 of 50 µg/m3 when averaged over 24 hours (referred to as an ambient air quality standard). The NESAQ allows for one exceedance of this standard per rolling 12-month period. More than one exceedance within a rolling 12-month period is a breach of the standard. The NESAQ requires air quality monitoring to take place in areas that are likely to exceed the standard for PM10.

The 2011 amendment to the NESAQ has introduced extended timeframes for airsheds  to comply with the standard for PM10. Airsheds are split in to three categories, depending on the average number of exceedances the airshed has for the previous five year period.

  • The first category includes airsheds with 10 or more exceedances a year. These airsheds must achieve no more than three exceedances by 1 September 2016 and no more than one exceedance by 1 September 2020. The Waikato region has one such airshed that falls within this category, namely Tokoroa.
  • The second category includes airsheds with more than one exceedance but less than 10 exceedances. This category of airshed must achieve no more than one exceedance by 1 September 2016. Based on the air quality monitoring data collected up to the end of 2013, the Waikato region has three airsheds that fall within this category, namely Taupō, Te Kuiti and Putaruru.
  • The third category includes all other airsheds which are currently complying and must continue to achieve no more than one exceedance of the standard.

During 2013, concentrations of PM10 were measured by Waikato Regional Council in eight out of the region’s 20 gazetted airsheds, with two stations located in the Hamilton airshed and one each in the Tokoroa, Taupō, Te Kuiti, Putaruru, Turangi, Cambridge and Te Awamutu-Kihikihi airsheds. Carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes were also measured  in Hamilton during 2013.

This report compares contaminant concentrations measured in these airsheds to the NESAQ standards and to the Ministry for the Environment’s air quality guidelines and indicator categories.

Read or download the report

Air quality monitoring report for Hamilton, Tokoroa, Taupō, Te Kuiti, Putaruru, Turangi, Cambridge and Te Awamutu-Kihikihi – 2013 [PDF, 5.1 MB]