We have always been led to believe that Cape Grim on the N/W tip of Tasmania has the cleanest air in the world.
Cape Grim location – courtesy Google Maps
The Cape Grim baseline air pollution station was established in 1976 to monitor and study global atmospheric composition. You can read about it here: http://www.bom.gov.au/inside/cgbaps/
One of the core scientific programs conducted at Cape Grim is PARTICULATES, i.e., Pm10 and PM2.5.
Particulates get a mention here http://www.bom.gov.au/inside/cgbaps/programs.shtml
If, “Pollution threatens environmental sustainability and can have harmful effects on human health.” then why has the PM2.5 baseline air monitor at Cape Grim been out of action since it stopped operating in December 2008?
Smoke consists primarily of fine particle pollution (Pm2.5).
It is widely reported that this size particle can travel deep into the lungs and stay there. These particulates can have gaseous toxins attached to them and they can cross over into the blood stream.
It is interesting to note the Pm2.5 air monitoring at Cape Grim went out of action at much the same time in 2008 as Tasmanians were subjected to horrendous quantities of pernicious forestry smoke.
This is confirmed by the website http://www.cleanairtas.com which commenced in 2008 and you can read about smoke related health problems at that time at http://cleanairtas.com/about.htm and, http://cleanairtas.com/couldyou.htm
The smoke has persisted ever since and the PM2.5 air monitor has not been reporting.
On top of this we have had smoke coming from the mainland into the measuring segment in Tasmania. Cape Grim has not recorded it.
Scientists from around the world supposedly rely on data gathered at Cape Grim. We are told governments make decisions based on data from Cape Grim. How can they and what are these people being told?
We should not be claiming Tasmania’s N/W tip has the cleanest air in the world when PM2.5 data has not been gathered from the Cape Grim monitoring station for almost three years. Grim isn’t it?
Cape Grim Particulates – courtesy CSIRO.
