For many decades an ill wind has blown in Brooklyn.

The suburb, in Melbourne’s west, suffers from a level of air pollution caused by a nearby industrial estate north of Geelong Road that soars well above national health standards and levels elsewhere in the city.

But, despite the Environment Protection Authority’s concerted efforts to address the problem, residents are alarmed by recent data showing days of high dust pollution are again on the rise.

With concerns over the pollution’s effect on health, more locals are calling on the Baillieu government to step in and tackle the problem once and for all.

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Carmen Largaiolli said she and other Brooklyn residents had put up with cars and houses covered in dust for years. She said a fine black soot continually built up on the window sills and in the bathroom of her house.

”We’ve got a Third World zone nine kilometres from the Melbourne CBD,” she said.

In the second half of last year there were 19 days in Brooklyn that exceeded air quality objectives for PM10 dust particles, which are less than one-tenth the diameter of a hair. The World Health Organisation warns high PM10 exposure should be limited to fewer than five days a year.

On days when the pollution is at its worst residents are warned to stay inside, leave windows and doors shut, and avoid outdoor exercise.

Health authorities say exposure to high PM10 levels contributes to the risk of developing cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.

One of the ways in which the EPA is tackling the problem is by handing out draft pollution abatement notices to businesses that lag in introducing measures to control dust pollution.

continue reading Brooklyn pleads for tough action on air pollution.