Air pollution is up to three times higher in south Invercargill, than in the least polluted parts of the city, according to a NIWA air quality study conducted in July and August 2023.

However south Invercargill cannot take all the blame with the province's northerly airflow also moving smoke, especially on cold still nights, from the rest of the city to the area.

The NIWA study was designed to better understand the concentrations of pollutants that people breathe and how they move across Invercargill.

Sensors were installed within a two kilometre grid in south Invercargill, however by mid-August half the sensors had been relocated to also cover the rest of the city.

Environment Southland air and terrestrial science team leader Nick Talbot said home heating remained the area where people could make the biggest difference to air quality.

“Our message continues to be to burn dry wood hot and bright, don’t bank your fires overnight and make sure to get your chimney cleaned regularly.”

The study also looked at how much air pollution was getting into people’s houses. 

Working alongside local community organisation South Alive, NIWA installed air quality monitors in the homes of six volunteers to collect data every few minutes on levels of particulate matter.

This enabled the scientists to work out whether indoor air was being contaminated from inside or from outside the home, or both. 

“NIWA’s work shows that poor air quality outside often drifts indoors which is detrimental to peoples’ health and wellbeing," Talbot said.

"Environment Southland plans to use this information to work with other advocacy groups to help lower air pollution levels and make homes healthier.”

“The solution to Invercargill’s air quality problems needs to be a joint one because it is not just an environmental problem but a socioeconomic and health one too.”

Environment Southland operates a Good Wood approved suppliers scheme which firewood retailers can sign up to voluntarily, and agree to certain standards for their wood.

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