The Brisbane Airport Corporation has accidently listed itself as one of Queensland's worst polluters, telling the federal government it was producing extraordinary levels of dangerous toxins.
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In an embarrassing miscalculation, the airport told the government it pumped out nearly 400,000 kilograms of dangerous PM2.5 toxins during 2013/14. This was more than the combined southeast Queensland mining industry.
The reported output of Total Volatile Organic Compounds - mostly made up from cars which use unleaded petrol - was overestimated by about 35,000 per cent.
Airport staff actually believe their pollution levels are dropping due to an initiative to deploy two electric fleet cars and switching other vehicles from petrol to diesel. They also believe they don't produce any PM2.5 toxins whatsoever.
Fairfax Media understands airport senior managers will contact the Department of Environment to try and the change pollution data submitted to the National Pollutant Inventory.
The miscalculated data was posted on the department's website.
With the airport's mistake taken into account, southeast Queensland's biggest PM2.5 emitter was the BP Refinery at Pinkenba, according to self-reported data submitted to the NPI.
They were followed by the Caltex Refinery at Lytton, the Enterprise Mine at North Stradbroke Island and the Amcor Cartonboard in Petrie.
Across the country, emissions of the dangerous fine-particle pollution PM2.5 from the coal industry increased by 52 per cent in the five years to 2013/14.
Seven of the ten highest emitters were from Queensland.
