Cockburn ranked fourth worst air polluted town in Australia

An IQAir Report, a company that tracks global air quality, has ranked five towns in Australia as having the worst air pollution in the country – Cockburn is ranked fourth. 

The Western Australian town exceeds the air safety guidelines of the World Health Organization who state that annual average concentrations of PM2.5 should not exceed 5 µg/m3, while 24-hour average exposures should not exceed 15 µg/m3 

Cockburn’s annual average was 8.9µg/m3.

Air pollution is now considered to be the world’s largest environmental health threat, accounting for seven million deaths around the world every year.

Associate Professor Yuben Moodley said air pollution is bad for everyone but for those living with a lung condition, such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) it poses a real and immediate threat to their health.

“A spike in air pollution levels can lead to symptoms getting worse, flare-ups and even the risk of hospitalisation,” said Associate Professor Moodley.

“PM 2.5 is the tiniest pollutant yet also among the most dangerous. When inhaled, it travels deep into lung tissue where it can enter the bloodstream. It comes from sources like the burning of wood fires, dust storms, bushfires and industry. It has been linked to several health threats including asthma, heart disease and other respiratory illnesses.

“If air pollution levels are high everyone can be affected by this even healthy people who exercise outside might experience breathing issues, like being out of breath or coughing.

“The best thing to do is stay away from pollution hotspots when air pollution levels are high. You can always check the air quality by visiting iqair.com.au“