Particulate matter 10 micrometres or less in diameter (PM10) is an air pollutant that causes health problems ranging from respiratory irritation to cancer. Reporting on the annual PM10 concentrations in Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries helps us understand the scale of PM10 pollution in New Zealand and how we rank internationally. The OECD consists of 34 countries with similar levels of economic development.
PM10 can be emitted from the combustion of fuels, such as wood and coal (eg from home heating and industry), and petrol and diesel (from vehicles). Natural sources of PM10 include sea salt, dust, pollen, smoke (from bush fires), and volcanic ash. PM10 also forms from reactions between gases or between gases and other particles.
Column headings:
- Con_mcg_m3 = Concentration in micrograms per cubic metre (μg/m3)
This dataset relates to the "Annual average PM10 concentrations in OECD countries (urban areas)" measure on the Environmental Indicators, Te taiao Aotearoa website.
