Air quality and your health

The quality of air we breathe directly impacts our health. Air pollution can be found in both indoor and outdoor environments, and air quality is categorised on a scale from ‘good’ to ‘extremely poor’. While air quality in South Australia is generally reported by the EPA as ‘good’, exposure to air pollution can lead to health concerns such as respiratory and cardiovascular disease.

Air quality can be impacted by:

  • industrial works
  • vehicle emissions
  • gas appliances, wood-burning fireplaces, and barbeques
  • natural events, such as dust storms and bushfires
  • pollen particles
  • mould and dampness.

Common air pollutants

Symptoms

Children, pregnant people, older people, and people with pre-existing cardiovascular and respiratory conditions are more vulnerable and highly sensitive to air pollutants.

See your doctor if you experience symptoms, including:

  • shortness of breath
  • eye or skin irritation
  • coughing or wheezing.

If you have an existing medical condition, such as asthma, follow your action plan or talk to your doctor about updating your plan.

Air quality and natural events

Some natural events can impact air quality which may subsequently impact your health:

Air quality and industry

Communities around some industries may be concerned about the air quality in their community and impacts on their health:

Monitoring air quality

Monitoring air quality is the first step in understanding a population’s exposure to air pollutants and to identify if action is needed to minimise exposure. The South Australian Environment Protection Authority (SA EPA) monitors and regulates South Australia’s air quality. Monitoring results including air quality categories across South Australia are published. Health advice and recommended actions for the community depend on the air quality category.

Reference grade monitors such as the ones used by SA EPA are the gold standard for monitoring air quality from a regulatory perspective. However, there can be benefits to public health by minimising the exposure to air pollutants by using indicative monitoring options such as low-cost sensors.

More information