The Healthy Urban Atmosphere research programme is New Zealand's only long-term air quality research programme. NIWA is leading the programme, which is funded by the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology, and is collaborating with a number of other NZ and overseas organisations. Here we bring you updates from a selection of the research projects underway.
New Zealanders love their wood burners, but these popular home heaters are also suspected to be major contributors to winter urban air pollution. NIWA scientists are working to accurately assess the emissions from wood burners, and also understand more about how users’ behaviour may affect emissions.
Is the salt in sea spray a form of air pollution? And how far does sea spray travel? These are questions being tackled by NIWA’s Healthy Urban Atmosphere team, not least because over half of New Zealanders live within 20 kilometres of the coast.
NIWA scientists are working to develop techniques for the analysis of long-term air quality data.
Can living close to motorways damage your health? Or is smoke from wood-burning fires the major urban pollutant in NZ? A cycling scientist may help provide the answer.
