Why do Port Hedland Air quality standards differ from the National Environmental Protection Council recommendation?

The guideline of 70µg/m3 PM₁₀ (24-hour average) was established in Port Hedland based on the WA Department of Health’s 2016 Health Risk Assessment and the advice of the Port Hedland Dust Management Taskforce.

The National Environmental Protection Measure (NEPM) standards for Ambient Air Quality are based on an urban environment. It is important to note the composition of dust from Port Hedland is significantly different to that found in urban environments.

Dust in urban environments typically consists of particulate matter from combustion sources such as road traffic.