NSW residents in metropolitan and regional areas last year enjoyed the best air quality since the monitoring network began nearly 30 years ago, the NSW Annual Air Quality Statement has found.
In 2022, air quality met the national health-based air quality standards 100% of the time at many air quality monitoring stations statewide.
No days exceeded the standards for all air pollutants in all Sydney regions, the Illawarra, Central Coast, Lower Hunter, Upper Hunter population centres and Southern Tablelands, NSW Department of Planning and Environment (DPE) scientists found.
DPE Acting Director of Climate and Atmospheric Science Ruby Kan said the Annual Air Quality Statement 2022, which is published today, did not record any days with extremely poor air quality.
"Annual particle concentrations were the lowest since measurements began at almost all locations in NSW, in some locations that means as far back as 1994," Ms Kan said.
"This report card shows air quality has improved greatly since the smoke and dust particle pollution caused by the 2019-20 Black Summer bushfires.
"Cooler, wetter weather due to the third consecutive La Nina climate event was a major factor as there were less bushfires, hazard reduction burns and windblown dust. Clean air is important for human health and the environment and these results will be welcomed by the community."
Excluding exceedances caused by sea salt spray, there were 18 days in 2022 when national standards were exceeded for either particles or gases at one or more metropolitan and regional centres, down from the 33 days recorded the previous year.
Sea salt spray resulted in an additional 36 days above the national standards for particles.
There were no days over the ozone and carbon monoxide national standards throughout the state however there were exceedances of the daily sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide standards on single days at one station each.
The special projects roadside monitoring at Bradfield Highway (north of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, adjacent to one of the state's busiest roads) recorded an annual average nitrogen dioxide level above the benchmark.
"Air quality is important to NSW residents and the department tracks the levels of a range of pollutants, including PM10 and PM2.5 particles, plus ozone, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide gases," Ms Kan said.
"Real-time access to information can be found on the DPE website, which features hourly air quality and particle readings, searchable locations and relevant health advice for each of our 95 air quality monitoring stations, including during air quality incidents such as bushfires and heatwaves."
Last year a new station at Alexandria, in Sydney's inner city, was added to the NSW air quality monitoring network. The NSW Annual Air Quality Statement 2022 can be found on the department's website.
