Hastings fails air quality standard a second time

The Hastings district has breached its air quality limit for a second time in two months/ Photo Duncan Brown

Hastings exceeded the national air quality standards for a second time last Friday.

Hawke's Bay Regional Council's monitor at St Johns in Hastings recorded an average level of 52 micrograms of PM10 (very small particles) per cubic metre of air over the 24 hour period to midnight Friday.

The limit is 50 micrograms PM10/m3.

Hawke's Bay Regional Council air quality scientist, Dr Kathleen Kozyniak, said it was the usual frosty and windless conditions which meant people used their wood burners more often.

"It would help if people used other means of heating if they have them.

"Also people with burners should check they are using dry, untreated wood as that produces a heat haze from the chimney rather than smoke," she said.

Across the plains an inversion layer could trap warm, smoky air close to the ground and around homes.

The PM10 in the smoke was a health issue both inside and outside homes, especially for people with respiratory problems.

Hastings exceeded the air quality limit in June this year; the average level was five micrograms PM10 per cubic metre of air above the acceptable level.

"The smaller the particles are, the further they get into your system. The really small stuff can get into your bloodstream.

"They have been associated with respiratory problems, linked with lung cancer."

A combination of no wind and cold temperatures could also lead to higher smoke levels in the air.

Breathe Hawke's Bay clinical nurse manager Julie Shaw suggested about 25,000 people in Hawke's Bay had a respiratory illness and air pollution was a trigger.

Most people with respiratory issues would experience shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing and chest tightness when they encountered polluted air.

Shaw said some people didn't go out at night during winter because of the pollution.

Medical Officer of Health Dr Nick Jones recommended people with respiratory issues stay indoors during cold, still evenings.

"From a public health point of view, one of the key messages would be for people who have conditions like heart or lung problems, is that they should avoid going out on those cold, still nights in winter, because that's essentially a time of high risk for them and in the mornings, too," he said.

"Sometimes it might be a day or two before people are affected after the levels are up, they can present different symptoms so it's very difficult to tell."