Total suspended particulates concentration in Auckland, 1965–2013

Total suspended particulates (TSP) consist of all solid particles and liquid droplets up to 100 micrometres (μm) in diameter (ie when compared with PM10 and PM2.5, TSP is the equivalent of PM100).

TSP can be emitted from the combustion of fuels, such as wood and coal (eg from home heating and industry) and petrol and diesel (from vehicles). Natural sources of TSP include sea salt, dust, pollen, smoke (from bush fires), and volcanic ash. TSP also forms from reactions between gases or between gases and other particles.

The smaller components of TSP (PM10 and PM2.5) are associated with health effects ranging from respiratory irritation to some forms of cancer. Reporting on changes in TSP concentrations helps us understand long-term changes in particulate matter pollution.

Column headings:
- Con_mcg_m3 = Concentration in micrograms per cubic metre (μg/m3)

This dataset relates to the "Total suspended particulate concentration in Auckland" measure on the Environmental Indicators, Te taiao Aotearoa website.