A statewide air quality monitoring network provides current information to the community. This network is known as the Base Line Air Network of EPA Tasmania, or BLANkET. Stations in the network report on particle concentrations (mainly from smoke and dust), as well as meteorological information. This information is presented in the
air quality table and on the maps below.
For more in-depth information about the BLANkET network see the
About BLANkET page.
The most recently available data for the BLANkET stations shows air concentration measurements for both smaller (PM2.5) and larger (PM10) particle sizes.
The data are updated every 10 minutes. Linked Station pages include real-time data for today, as well as data plots for today and yesterday.
Air Quality Maps
The first map below shows colour-coded PM2.5 levels at the EPA Tasmania air stations. PM2.5 is a measure of particle matter up to 2.5 millionths of a metre in diameter, reported as micrograms per cubic metre of air (µg m-3). In Tasmania, PM2.5 particles are usually from smoke.
Click on a station site to see the current readings and other information about the site. You can use your mouse on your computer or gestures on your device to
pan and zoom the map. These data are presented as a layer in the LIST map (Land Information Systems Tasmania) from Land Tasmania, NRE Tas.
Coloured indicators align with the Tasmanian Department of Health air quality health categories based on the hour-averaged PM2.5 value:
The map below shows real-time air quality measurements of PM10 and PM2.5 (respectively, particles up to 10 millionths of a metre and 2.5 millionths of a metre in diameter). The data in this map and the one above may on occasions be from samples 10 minutes apart in time.
These values are micrograms per cubic metre (µg m-3) and are referred to as PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations, i.e.
PM10 are particles of less than 10 micrometers (millionths of a metre) in diameter
PM2.5 are particles of less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter
As noted above, the PM2.5 measurement tends to reflect smaller particles such as those contained in woodsmoke, while the PM10 measurement includes smoke as well as larger particles such as contained in dust, sea-salt aerosols, and possibly some pollens.
For more information, see
Interpreting Air Quality Data and
Major Air Pollutants
See the Department of Health
Air Quality page for more information - scroll down to
Tracking Air Quality for category descriptions. The Department of Health publishes health-related air quality alerts on the
News and alerts page.
Note: These real-time measurements are considered 'indicative' rather than 'reference-level' due to the sampling method. Reference-level measurements require the collection of samples for laboratory analysis. All BLANkET instruments are calibrated with respect to reference-level measurements before deployment to the stations.
Air Quality Table
The table lists current PM10 and PM2.5 measurements, as well as a rolling-hour average PM2.5 value. Tasmanian Department of Health air quality health categories, derived from the rolling-hour average of PM2.5, are included in the table.
Current air quality data table for Tasmania
Air Quality Standards
The National Environment Protection (Ambient Air Quality) Measure (known as the Air NEPM) stipulates air quality standards in Australia. For PM10 there is a 24-hour standard of 50 µg m-3 (50 millionth of a gram per cubic metre). That is, if PM10 levels measured by a reference instrument averaged over a calendar day exceed 50 µg m-3, an exceedance of the standard is recorded. The Air NEPM stipulates that the reporting interval is the calendar day (midnight to midnight). The annual standard for PM10 is 25 µg m-3, with the reporting interval being the calendar year. For PM2.5, the 24-hour (calendar day) standard is 20 µg m-3, with an annual standard of 7 µg m-3. Currently there are no national standards for PM10 or PM2.5 for intervals shorter than 24 hours.
For more information about the Air NEPM and our reference stations, see our
NEPM Monitoring Information page.
Reference Stations and Gas Concentrations
Current (unvalidated) data is available from the main air stations of
Hobart (New Town),
Launceston (Ti Tree Bend) and
Devonport.
Validated reference data is available for the Hobart, Launceston, and Devonport stations, along with historical data from the former station at George Town -
Reference Station Air Pollution Data.
Historical Data
To access historical annual plots, 'most recent 30-day' plots of day-averaged BLANkET data and plots of the most recent 3 days of 10-minute-resolution data, visit the Historical BLANkET Data page.
Air Quality Data Feedback Survey
We keep working to improve the way we present information on these pages and would appreciate your feedback on how we are doing and what we could do better.
Air quality data feedback survey