Influence of the 23 October 2002 dust storm on the air quality of four Australian cities

• Published in: Water, air, and soil pollution Vol. 164; no. 1-4; pp. 329 - 348
• Main Authors: Chan, Y.C, McTainsh, G, Leys, J, McGowan, H, Tews, K
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer 01.06.2005; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: air pollution; Air quality; Air quality standards; air temperature; Applied sciences; atmospheric deposition; Atmospheric pollution; Cities; Deposition; Drought; Dust; Dust storms; Earth, ocean, space; Environmental monitoring; Exact sciences and technology; External geophysics; Mathematical models; Meteorology; Outdoor air quality; Particles and aerosols; Pollutants physicochemistry study: properties, effects, reactions, transport and distribution; Pollution; prediction; Rural; urban areas; New South Wales; Queensland; Australia; Oceania; ISEW, Australia, Queensland, Mackay; Australia, Queensland, Mackay; PSE, Australia, New South Wales, Sydney; ISEW, Australia, Queensland, Gladstone; Australia, New South Wales, Sydney; ISEW, Australia, Queensland, Brisbane; Australia, Queensland, Brisbane; Australia, Queensland, Gladstone; Atmospheric fallout; Troposphere; Air quality; Deposition rate; Urban area; Forecast model; Dry deposition; Coarse particle; Particle size distribution; Dust storm; Fine particle; PM2.5; Aerosols; Air pollution; PM10; Australia; Concentration distribution
• ISSN: 0049-6979; 1573-2932
• DOI: 10.1007/s11270-005-4009-0

Widespread drought and record maximum temperatures in eastern Australia produced a large dust storm on 23 October, 2002 which traversed a large proportion of eastern Australia and engulfed communities along a 2000 km stretch of coastline from south of Sydney (NSW) to north of Mackay (Queensland). This event provided an opportunity for a study of the impacts of rural dust upon the air quality of four Australian cities. A simple model is used to predict dust concentrations, dust deposition rates and particle size characteristics of the airborne dust in the cities. The total dust load of the plume was 3.35 to 4.85 million tones, and assuming a (conservative) plume height of 1500 m, 62-90% of this dust load was deposited in-transit to the coast. It is conservatively estimated that 3.5, 12.0, 2.1 and 1.7 kilotonnes of dust were deposited during the event in Sydney, Brisbane, Gladstone and Mackay, respectively. In the South East Queensland region, this deposition is equivalent to 40% of the total annual TSP emissions for the region. The event increased TSP, PM^sub 10^ and PM^sub 2.5^ concentrations and reduced the visibility beyond the health and amenity guidelines in the four cities. For example, the 24-h average PM^sub 10^ concentrations in Brisbane and Mackay, were 161 and 475 μg m^sup -3^ respectively, compared with the Australian national ambient air quality standard of 50 μg m^sup -3^. The 24-h average PM^sub 2.5^ concentration in Brisbane was 42 μg m^sup -3^, compared with the national advisory standard of 25 μg m^sup -3^. These rural dusts significantly increased PM^sub 10^/TSP ratios and decreased PM^sub 2.5^/PM^sub 10^ ratios, indicating that most of the particles were between PM^sub 2.5^ and PM^sub 10^.[PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]