the air we breathe has a huge impact on our health and wellbeing. clean air nourishes our lungs, enlivens our organs, assists with metabolic function and helps us detoxify.

Polluted air, meanwhile, can lead to inflammation, oxidative stress, immunosuppression, coughing, eye irritation and respiratory illnesses, among other issues.

At Peninsula Hot Springs, we recognise that water, food, sunshine and clean air are all pivotal to our wellbeing. We celebrate the life-giving qualities of water through geothermal pools and our site-wide filtered water stations, and we highlight the importance of sunshine and nutrition through our food bowl and the S.L.O.W. food philosophy that flows into our onsite cafes.

Yet unlike water, food and sunshine, we usually can’t see the air that surrounds us — which means that we don’t often think about air quality.

We have recently installed an Air Quality Monitoring Station up at our Hilltop Pool in the Bath House to emphasise the significance of the air we breathe. The Mornington Peninsula is renowned for its clean, pristine air, yet if any contaminants creep into the atmosphere (such as particulate matter from car and truck exhaust fumes, dust and industry pollutants), the metre will pick up on these pollutants and measure the level of contamination. The parameters of what we are measuring have been sourced from EPA AirWatch, which monitors air quality across Victoria.

EPA AirWatch uses air quality categories to show the level of air pollutants at sites across the state. They measure the average concentration of a pollutant in the air over a one-hour period, and then compare it to a standard for each pollutant to calculate the air quality category. The pollutants they measure are PM2.5 and PM10 particles, ozone, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide and sulphur dioxide — or dust, smoke, car and truck fumes, gases and industry.

The data collected from our Air Quality Monitoring Station (which includes the current weather) is held in a cloud-based system, where we can access and share this information in real time on our website.

The station also shines a light on the role that clean air plays when it comes to the health of our planet. Just as our lungs need oxygen to keep our bodies functioning optimally, the lungs of the planet require unpolluted air to continue sustaining human life. The burning of fossil fuels compromises our air quality and contributes to climate change, and our Air Quality Monitoring Station is a reminder of the role we can play in reducing carbon emissions.

The next time you visit Peninsula Hot Springs take a moment to notice the Air Quality Monitoring Station. And, as you bathe and unwind in our open air pools, consider how lucky we are to breathe such pure air in this part of the world.