Air Monitoring

The Port of Townsville is a diverse and multi-cargo port which handles import and export products such as containers, motor vehicles, live cattle, wet and dry bulk commodities and general cargo.

Air emissions may be generated by the handling of some bulk materials as well as from general operations (e.g. driving vehicles). A range of measures are taken by both the Port of Townsville Ltd and our port users, to minimise the dust and contaminant emissions generated by port activities.

The Port of Townsville's Boundary Air Quality Monitoring Plan has been designed to characterise air quality in the environment surrounding the port in order to determine the potential exposure of sensitive receptors to dust and air contaminant emissions that could be attributed to port operations.

A number of port users also sample air quality on their sites. The Department of Environment and Science (DES) also conduct an air quality monitoring program in Townsville and the Port of Townsville utilises this data to expand its understanding and analysis of air quality around Townsville.

You can read here a comprehensive list of frequently asked questions that was compiled by the Port Stakeholder Working Group.

View the Port of Townsville's Boundary Boundary Air Monitoring Plan

View a map of the  Boundary Air Monitoring Locations

Go to the Queensland Government's Department of Environment and Science site for hourly air quality data

The Townsville Port Operations Dashboard is a tool that enables the general community to view air quality monitoring data and associated information in an easy to understand format. 

Published monthly, the Dashboard displays results from three air quality monitoring stations around the port boundary, as well as links to regulator results and publications.  

Read More about the Data Dashboard

2018

2017

2016

Air Quality Monitoring Equipment

The Port of Townsville uses three types of equipment to monitor air quality:

High Volume Air Samplers

• Electrically powered equipment that sucks air in at a set rate and collects any air particles on sampling paper over a 24 hour period every 6 days (i.e. 60-61 samples a year)
• Two different size heads (i.e. sample inlets) give different information
• PM10 inlet collects only material that is less than 10 microns in diameter, these particles are inhalable
• TSP (total suspended particles) collects material in the air less than 100 microns in diameter suspended in the air
• Filter paper is collected and analysed at a NATA certified laboratory

Continuous Particulate Monitors

• Electrically powered equipment that sucks air in 24/7 all year at the Coast Guard
• Has a PM10 or TSP head 
• No laboratory analysis conducted – is continually analysed in the machine 

Dust Deposition

• Unpowered equipment - ie. a jar with a glass funnel that sits and collects any material that is in the air, that would fall on surfaces (ie. houses)
• Sample is collected monthly and analysed at a  NATA certified laboratory 

Need further information or want to report something you're concerned about?
Contact the Port of Townsville's Manager Environment and Planning on 07 4781 1619 or email environment@townsvilleport.com.au.