Air quality health advice
This page includes information about air quality in the ACT, including health advice related to specific pollutants that are measured. You can also find where to check the grass pollen count.
You can also:
Air quality raw data for ozone, CO, NO2, PM10 and PM2.5 can be found on the check current air quality readings page.
You can also find information about each pollutant and how it is measured.
Grass pollen count
There are two ways to check the grass pollen count for today and the forecast for 6 days in the ACT.
You can:
- go to the Canberra Pollen Count and Forecast Service
- download the AirRater app for up-to-date information on total pollen, including tree and grass pollen, smoke pollution and temperature.
The pollen levels between AirRater and Canberra Pollen Count may vary from time to time. AirRater measures total pollens, and the Canberra Pollen Count and Forecast Service only measure grass pollens.
Particulate matter PM2.5
The table below shows the hourly rolling averages for PM2.5 at the Canberra air quality monitoring stations by health categories.
Health and activity advice for particulate matter PM2.5
The health and activity advice below is based on air quality health categories for PM2.5.
Match the current air quality colour rating (above) to the colour in this table to find the current health and activity advice for PM2.5.
PM2.5 levels can change rapidly, depending on the source and weather patterns.
Bushfire season
During bushfire season be sure to check the ACT Emergency Services Agency website for information about fire ratings, fire bans and bushfire events.
Find out more about the health impacts of outdoor smoke.
Category | General health advice and recommended actions | |
|---|---|---|
Sensitive groups includes
| Everyone else | |
Good | No change needed to your normal outdoor activities. | No change needed to your normal outdoor activities. |
Fair | Reduce outdoor physical activity if you develop symptoms like cough or shortness of breath. Consider closing windows and doors until outdoor air quality is better. Follow the treatment plan recommended by your doctor. If you are concerned about symptoms call the 24-hour HealthDirect helpline on 1800 022 222 or see your doctor. If you or anyone in your care has trouble breathing or tightness in the chest or in a health emergency, call 000 for an ambulance. | No change needed to your normal outdoor activities. |
Poor | Avoid outdoor physical activity if you develop symptoms like cough or shortness of breath. When indoors, close windows and doors until outdoor air quality is better. Follow the treatment plan recommended by your doctor. If you are concerned about symptoms call the 24-hour HealthDirect helpline on 1800 022 222 or see your doctor. If you or anyone in your care has trouble breathing or tightness in the chest or in a health emergency, call 000 for an ambulance. | Reduce outdoor physical activity if you develop symptoms like cough or shortness of breath. |
Very poor | Stay indoors as much as possible with windows and doors closed until outdoor air quality is better. If you feel that the air in your home is uncomfortable, consider going to a place with cleaner air (such as an air-conditioned building like a library or shopping centre) if it is safe to do so. Actively monitor symptoms and follow any treatment plan recommended by your doctor. If you are concerned about symptoms call the 24-hour HealthDirect helpline on 1800 022 222 or see your doctor. If you or anyone in your care has trouble breathing or tightness in the chest or in a health emergency, call 000 for an ambulance. | Avoid outdoor physical activity if you develop symptoms like cough or shortness of breath. When indoors, close windows and doors until outdoor air quality is better. If you are concerned about symptoms call the 24-hour HealthDirect helpline on 1800 022 222 or see your doctor. If you or anyone in your care has trouble breathing or tightness in the chest or in a health emergency, call 000 for an ambulance. |
Extremely poor | Stay indoors with windows and doors closed until outdoor air quality is better and reduce indoor activity. If you feel that the air in your home is uncomfortable, consider going to a place with cleaner air (such as an air-conditioned building like a library or shopping centre) if it is safe to do so. Actively monitor symptoms and follow the treatment plan recommended by your doctor. If you are concerned about symptoms call the 24-hour HealthDirect helpline on 1800 022 222 or see your doctor. If you or anyone in your care has trouble breathing or tightness in the chest or in a health emergency, call 000 for an ambulance. | Stay indoors as much as possible with windows and doors closed until outdoor air quality is better. If you feel that the air in your home is uncomfortable, consider going to a place with cleaner air (such as an air-conditioned building like a library or shopping centre) if it is safe to do so. If you are concerned about symptoms call the 24-hour HealthDirect helpline on 1800 022 222 or see your doctor. If you or anyone in your care has trouble breathing or tightness in the chest or in a health emergency, call 000 for an ambulance. |
Extra category in AirRater
If you use AirRater, which tells you PM2.5 concentrations in the ACT, you will note an extra category that is not included in the ACT health categories will sometimes show up that is in between the ACT Health category of ‘good’ and ‘fair’.
This extra category shows up in AirRater when PM2.5 concentrations are between 11 – 25 uq/m3. When concentrations are in this level, there is no specific health advice that is required. However, it may be an indication that air quality is changing.
It may be beginning to get worse, so you may like to keep an eye on conditions, especially if you are more sensitive to the effects of PM2.5. On the other hand, if the air quality has been much worse and it is now improving, it may be a good time to open and air out your house.
Health and activity advice for ozone
Exposure to elevated levels of ozone increases inflammation in the body, including inflammation in the airways and can cause damage to the lining of the airways.
This can lower lung function (making it feel difficult to breath), increase airway hyper-responsiveness (a feature of asthma) and decrease the clearance of infections from the lungs.
When you are exposed to ozone, all these things make you more likely to have respiratory symptoms, such as coughing, throat irritation, and chest tightness.
Ozone affects all people, including healthy people. However, some people are more sensitive to ozone exposure than others, including people with existing lung conditions, children, and people over 65.
Summer
Ozone levels are more likely to be elevated during the summer, particularly on hot days in the afternoon and early evening. On very hot days when ozone levels are likely higher in the afternoon and early evening, even healthy people should try to plan their more vigorous exercise for the morning, if possible.
Treatment and prevention
If you are sensitive to the ozone effects or have an underlying respiratory condition, make sure you have an asthma or COPD action plan with your General Practitioner and take your preventer and reliever medications as prescribed.
If you are concerned about symptoms, call the 24-hour HealthDirect helpline on 1800 022 222 or see your doctor.
If you or anyone in your care has trouble breathing or tightness in the chest or is in a health emergency, call Triple zero 000 for an ambulance.
Background on PM2.5 health advice
Australian state and territory governments are working together to produce nationally consistent health advice for the key air pollutants that are of concern to the health of Australians. This webpage will be updated as these categories are agreed to.
The first pollutant with agreed categories is PM2.5, which is the main pollutant of concern during bushfire events.
From December 2020 ACT Health implemented air quality categories for particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) that correspond to nationally agreed health and activity advice. From December 2020, ACT Health now provides health advice for PM2.5 based on hourly rolling averages. Hourly averages correlate closely to current levels of PM2.5 in the air.
Bushfire Smoke and Air Quality Strategy, 2021-2025
On 11 November 2021 the ACT Government released its Bushfire Smoke and Air Quality Strategy, whole of government approach to prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from significant bushfire smoke events and our management of the smoke from wood heaters.
The strategy sets out key actions over the next four years, including:
- strengthening wood heater emission standards
- enhancing air quality monitoring and forecasting
- identifying and supporting smoke refuges
- providing economic support to those affected by severe bushfire smoke.
Go to the ACT Government website to find out more about the Bushfire Smoke and Air Quality Strategy.