Air pollution
What are the main factors contributing to air pollution?
Air pollution in the Sydney Greater Metropolitan Region results from emissions from motor vehicles, industry and local/domestic sources such as woodheaters. Action for Air includes strategies to reduce emissions across all of these sectors.
Sydney's air quality has been steadily improving since the 1980s, mainly due to the implementation of progressive strategies, such as those outlined in Action for Air.
The news is very good for some pollutants, with dramatic improvements in ambient levels of carbon monoxide and lead. There has been a ten-fold drop in lead levels in the city in the last twenty years. The lead levels should drop even further now that leaded petrol has been superseded by unleaded and lead replacement petrol. Sulfur dioxide concentrations are also well below the national standard.
Ground level ozone, nitrogen dioxide and particle levels have remained constant despite strong population and economic growth.
Increasing motor vehicle use, the use of solid fuel heaters in winter and bush fires during summer still threaten to compromise NSW performance against the national air quality standards.
The two urban air pollution problems of prime concern are ozone or photochemical smog and particle pollution.
See more about air.
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Page last updated: 26 February 2011
