National Fuel Quality Standards Regulation Impact Statement 1 ...

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Table 2.3 <strong>National</strong> ambient air quality standards Pollutant Averaging Period Maximum Concentration Carbon monoxide 8 hours 9.0 ppm Goal within 10 years (Max allowable exceedences) 1 day a year Nitrogen dioxide 1 hour 0.12 ppm 1 day a year Photochemical oxidant (as ozone) Sulfur dioxide 1 year 0.03 ppm None 1 hour 0.10ppm 1 day a year 4 hours 0.08ppm 1 day a year 1 hour 1 day 1 year 0.20ppm 0.08ppm 0.02ppm Lead 1 year 0.05 µg/m 3 Particles as PM10 1 day 50 µg/m 3 Source: NEPC, 1998 1 day a year 1 day a year none none 5 days a year Concern has also recently been expressed in relation to increased ambient concentrations of `air toxics'. These are pollutants that occur in relatively small volumes (compared with criteria pollutants) but are considered hazardous to health or the environment. Motor vehicle emissions have been estimated to contribute up to 80% of benzene, 57% of toluene, 76% of butadiene, 64% of formaldehyde, 42% of polyaromatic hydrocarbons and 57% of xylene in urban environments (EPA Victoria, 1999). 2.1.1 Health effects of urban air pollution Ambient air quality standards are set at levels to protect the more susceptible members of society, and significant breaches of these standards represent undesirable impacts on community health. The most common pollutants discharged to the air are oxides of nitrogen (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and fine particles (including lead). These pollutants are largely produced by the combustion
of fossil fuels. Another significant pollutant in major urban areas is ozone (O3), a secondary pollutant formed in sunlight by chemical reactions between NOx and reactive hydrocarbons. The adverse health effects, and current ambient concentrations/trends of those pollutants with a strong linkage to motor vehicles are briefly discussed below (Grant et al, 1993; Sivak, 1993; NEPC, 1997; NSW EPA, 1996b; Vic EPA, 1994). Carbon monoxide (CO) Carbon monoxide is a colourless, odourless and tasteless gas that, in high concentrations, is poisonous to humans. In sufficiently high concentrations and long exposures, CO interferes with the blood’s capacity to carry oxygen. Exposure at lower levels can have adverse effects on individuals with cardiovascular disease. Exceedances of CO standards still occur in Australia’s larger cities, but the number of events has reduced considerably over the past 10 years. The general consensus is that the current CO levels are not of significant concern and will continue to decrease (SoE, 1996) as tighter vehicle emission standards come into effect. Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) Nitrogen dioxide is a pungent acid gas. In the atmosphere it may irritate respiratory systems, exacerbate asthma in susceptible individuals, increase susceptibility to cardiovascular disease symptoms and respiratory infections, and reduce lung function. As a precursor to photochemical smog, it also contributes to effects associated with ozone. The NSW Health Department’s Health and Research Program (HARP) examined the health effects of urban air pollution (Hensley, 1996; Morgan et al, 1998). The HARP study estimated that days of high NO2 levels were associated with: a 7% increase in hospital admissions for cardiovascular disease; a 5% increase in childhood asthma admissions; a 3% increase in adult asthma admissions and a 5% increase in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease admissions. While the number of breaches of the current NO2 standard have been low in recent years, the formation of NO2 in the atmosphere (from nitric oxide in vehicle exhaust) is strongly affected by seasonal weather conditions. This has lead to a number of reports concluding that there are no clear trends in NO2 levels (NSW EPA, 1996b, Coffey Partners, 1996). For example, in Melbourne, while the number of exceedences is low, analysis of the peak data at the 98 percentile level (a reliable indicator of trends) concludes that a clear downward trend is not apparent in 1 hour average NOX or NO2 data (Coffey Partners, 1996). Ozone (O3) Ozone is a gas with strong oxidising properties. Health effects attributed to ozone include irritation of eyes and airways, exacerbation of asthma symptoms in susceptible people, increased susceptibility to infection, and acute respiratory symptoms such as coughing. Ozone also has adverse effects on vegetation and other materials. The national 1 hour ozone standard (0.10ppm) is exceeded on an annual basis in Melbourne, Sydney Brisbane and Perth. Adelaide also experiences some exceedences of the standard. By international standards, the maximum 1 hour ozone concentrations
Page 1 and 2: 1 Introduction National Fuel Qualit
Page 3: Table 2.2 Greenhouse gas emissions
Page 7 and 8: interactions with the terrestrial a
Page 9 and 10: enhance the quality of conventional
Page 11 and 12: Summary A business as usual approac
Page 13 and 14: 500ppm limit on the sulfur content
Page 15 and 16: protection to all Australians where
Page 17 and 18: 4.5.1 Advantages and Disadvantages
Page 19 and 20: The Commonwealth proposal for fuel
Page 21 and 22: Table 5.1: Net Benefits of adopting
Page 23 and 24: It is probable that these increased
Page 25 and 26: direct injection. It is claimed tha
Page 27 and 28: that modelled in the Fuel Quality R
Page 29 and 30: egion. It would appear that Euro 2
Page 31 and 32: taking into account the objectives
Page 33 and 34: sulfur for both petrol and diesel a
Page 35 and 36: Auto-Oil Programme (1995) Informal
Page 37 and 38: FORS (1997) LPG In-service Vehicle
Page 39 and 40: ______ (1999) Air Emissions Invento
Page 41 and 42: Table A3.2 Regular unleaded petrol
Page 43 and 44: Table A3.3: Premium unleaded petrol
Page 45 and 46: APPENDIX 2: Summary of Assessment o
Page 47 and 48: APPENDIX 4 LIST OF STAKEHOLDERS * A
Page 49: * NRMA * NSW Cabinet Office * Premi

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