Perth Haze – NEPM Guidelines Exceeded

Feb 17, 2012

PM₁₀ Particulates (very fine particulates that are deeply inhaled in the lung) have exceeded the National Environmental Pollution Measure guideline for the past 3 days in the Perth Metropolitan area.

24 hour average concentrations are ranging from 60-70 µg/m³, 3 - 6 times the typical concentrations in Perth.  For comparison, the average particulate concentrations for Beijing in 2011 were 110 µg/m³ (BBC News China, Jan 2012).

The particulates originate from a bushfire south of Northcliffe will continue to drift north-west and north along the Swan Coastal Plain and the Darling Scarp as far as Geraldton over the next few days.

The bushfire started last Thursday (9 Feb) as a result of lightning strikes.  Southerly winds are pushing smoke from the fire over the South West and northwards.

The smoke is being trapped under an inversion that acts as a ‘blanket’ keeping it relatively closer to the ground. This inversion prevents the smoke dispersing until temperatures rise and ‘punch a hole’ in the inversion layer and the surrounding atmosphere becomes more unstable. [Source – Department of Environment and Conservation, Western Australia]

Health warnings have been issued for people with respiratory ailments or breathing difficulties.

People with health problems are urged to stay indoors.

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