Hunter communities are demanding the state government strengthen air pollution controls after the World Health Organisation’s specialist cancer agency ruled outdoor air pollution is carcinogenic to humans.
The Upper Hunter air quality monitoring network has issued 77 alerts for poor air quality since October 1, including four yesterday.
The Clean Air Society of Australia and New Zealand will meet in Singleton next week to discuss new information about air pollution and health, including the new report by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.
Hunter Communities Network spokeswoman Bev Smiles said existing measures to control air pollution were ineffective against the scale of the problem.
‘‘When you overlay the dust coming from all of the exposed [mining] country in the Upper Hunter with natural events like fires, you end up with a disaster,’’ she said. ‘‘The measures that are being taken to control dust don’t go far enough.’’
Smoke from wood-fired heaters and power station emissions are also major contributors to Upper Hunter particle pollution.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer announced last month that, after reviewing the latest scientific literature, it had concluded exposure to outdoor air pollution caused lung cancer. It also noted a link with bladder cancer.
Significantly for Upper Hunter residents, particulate matter, which is a major component of outdoor air pollution, was evaluated separately and was also classified as carcinogenic to humans.
Singleton Healthy Environment Group spokesman John Drinan said policymakers needed to take the agency’s latest advice about the effects of poor air quality seriously.
Dr Drinan said he doubted it was possible to effectively regulate air quality in the Hunter while large-scale open-cut mining took place.
‘‘From what we know, any level of fine particulates is injurious to human health, therefore you can’t set a safe threshold,’’ he said.
‘‘It’s a bit like the 0.5 limit for alcohol; you think if you’re below 0.5 you’re safe, but you’re not. But at some point you need to strike a balance between what the community is prepared to tolerate in the way of loss in return for gain.’’
The Environment Protection Authority has introduced a number of measures to improve air quality in the region including the Dust Stop program for mines.
Another program aims to reduce diesel emissions from off-road vehicles and mining equipment and it is also working with councils to improve wood smoke management.
NSW Health investigated a suspected brain cancer cluster in the Singleton area in 2010 following long-held community concerns about the health impacts of coal dust.
The investigation, which focused on five cases over a 35-year period, was unable to find a direct link and concluded the cases were a statistical anomaly. It did, however, suggest the cases and their potential causes were worthy of further investigation.
Professor Wayne Smith from NSW Health’s environmental health branch said the agency’s statement was accepted knowledge in the field of air pollution research.
‘‘The ... statement provides additional justification for the actions that the NSW government is taking to reduce the population’s exposure to air pollution, including the actions being taken in the Upper Hunter,’’ he said.
NSW Health data, released at September’s air quality forum in Newcastle, estimated fine particle pollution resulted in 25 deaths in the greater Newcastle area each year. Two deaths a year were attributed to exposure to fine particle pollution in Muswellbrook and Singleton. Fine particle pollution causes 223 deaths in Sydney each year.
A NSW Minerals Council spokesman said the industry was committed to improving air quality.
‘‘Mining contributes to regional particulate matter, but we’re one of many contributors. Other sources include cars and other transport, sea spray, bushfires and wood smoke from homes,’’ he said.