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Search Global Air Quality Laws
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UN regional group
- African Group
- Asia and the Pacific Group
- Eastern European Group
- Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)
- Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Year
Ambient Air Quality Standards
- In a legislative or legislatively empowered instrument
Responsibility for air quality standards
- National government
- State/provincial government
- Local government
- Shared responsibility
Indoor Air Quality Standards
- Yes
Type of instrument
- Primary legislation
- Other primary legislation
- Secondary legislation
- Policy linked to the legislative framework
- More than one
Nature of legal obligations
- Duty to meet AAQS (Binding legislative obligation on the state)
- Duty to take BPM to meet standard
- Escalating duty to take action (if AQ worsens)
- Duty to report to public authority
- Duty to plan for achieving AAQS
- Emergency planning requirements for dangerous AQ levels
Exceedances
- Generally allowed exceedances
- Other allowed exceedances (emergency reasons/natural events)
Compliance with WHO Air Quality Guidelines (2005)
-
PM2.5 (10 μg/m3 annual mean 25 μg/m3 24-hour mean)
The WHO Air quality guidelines are a set of evidence-based recommendations of limit values for specific air pollutants developed to help countries achieve air quality that protects public health. The first release of the guidelines was in 1987. Since then, several updated versions have appeared. This toolkit currently assesses countries against the 2005 guideline values (see here). The guidelines were updated more recently in 2021 (see here) and the legislation and policies presented in this toolkit will in the future be reassessed against these updated values.
- PM10 (20 μg/m3 annual mean)
The WHO Air quality guidelines are a set of evidence-based recommendations of limit values for specific air pollutants developed to help countries achieve air quality that protects public health. The first release of the guidelines was in 1987. Since then, several updated versions have appeared. This toolkit currently assesses countries against the 2005 guideline values (see here). The guidelines were updated more recently in 2021 (see here) and the legislation and policies presented in this toolkit will in the future be reassessed against these updated values.- PM10 (50 μg/m3 24-hour mean)
The WHO Air quality guidelines are a set of evidence-based recommendations of limit values for specific air pollutants developed to help countries achieve air quality that protects public health. The first release of the guidelines was in 1987. Since then, several updated versions have appeared. This toolkit currently assesses countries against the 2005 guideline values (see here). The guidelines were updated more recently in 2021 (see here) and the legislation and policies presented in this toolkit will in the future be reassessed against these updated values.- Ozone (100 μg/m3 8-hour mean)
The WHO Air quality guidelines are a set of evidence-based recommendations of limit values for specific air pollutants developed to help countries achieve air quality that protects public health. The first release of the guidelines was in 1987. Since then, several updated versions have appeared. This toolkit currently assesses countries against the 2005 guideline values (see here). The guidelines were updated more recently in 2021 (see here) and the legislation and policies presented in this toolkit will in the future be reassessed against these updated values.- NO2 (40 μg/m3 annual mean)
The WHO Air quality guidelines are a set of evidence-based recommendations of limit values for specific air pollutants developed to help countries achieve air quality that protects public health. The first release of the guidelines was in 1987. Since then, several updated versions have appeared. This toolkit currently assesses countries against the 2005 guideline values (see here). The guidelines were updated more recently in 2021 (see here) and the legislation and policies presented in this toolkit will in the future be reassessed against these updated values.- NO2 (200 μg/m3 1-hour mean)
The WHO Air quality guidelines are a set of evidence-based recommendations of limit values for specific air pollutants developed to help countries achieve air quality that protects public health. The first release of the guidelines was in 1987. Since then, several updated versions have appeared. This toolkit currently assesses countries against the 2005 guideline values (see here). The guidelines were updated more recently in 2021 (see here) and the legislation and policies presented in this toolkit will in the future be reassessed against these updated values.- SO2 (20 μg/m3 24-hour mean)
The WHO Air quality guidelines are a set of evidence-based recommendations of limit values for specific air pollutants developed to help countries achieve air quality that protects public health. The first release of the guidelines was in 1987. Since then, several updated versions have appeared. This toolkit currently assesses countries against the 2005 guideline values (see here). The guidelines were updated more recently in 2021 (see here) and the legislation and policies presented in this toolkit will in the future be reassessed against these updated values.- SO2 (500 μg/m3 10-minute mean)
The WHO Air quality guidelines are a set of evidence-based recommendations of limit values for specific air pollutants developed to help countries achieve air quality that protects public health. The first release of the guidelines was in 1987. Since then, several updated versions have appeared. This toolkit currently assesses countries against the 2005 guideline values (see here). The guidelines were updated more recently in 2021 (see here) and the legislation and policies presented in this toolkit will in the future be reassessed against these updated values.- Newly acknowledged pollutants
The WHO Air quality guidelines are a set of evidence-based recommendations of limit values for specific air pollutants developed to help countries achieve air quality that protects public health. The first release of the guidelines was in 1987. Since then, several updated versions have appeared. This toolkit currently assesses countries against the 2005 guideline values (see here). The guidelines were updated more recently in 2021 (see here) and the legislation and policies presented in this toolkit will in the future be reassessed against these updated values.Legal requirement to monitor
Procedural and substantive rights
- Public right to air quality data (including general right to environmental information)
- Legal right to participate in setting AAQS in legislation
- Legal right to participate in devising air quality plans or actions in legislation
- Legal rights of access to justice (linked directly to air quality framework)
Legal coordination of policy to achieve AAQS
- Legal link between air quality standards and decision-making on projects
- Legally mandated policy coordination for air quality
Enforcement mechanisms
- Criminal
- Civil
- Administrative
- Bespoke enforcement mechanism
- Multi-level governance mechanism (eg EU Commission)
Provisions for transboundary air pollution
- Yes
Showing 81 - 90 of 91 resultsAir Pollution Control Regulations.| 1999 |Regulation
PalauThe Regulations make provision for air quality standards, permits to construct or operate a stationary source, i.e. all air contaminant sources, except mobile sources, monitoring, records and reporting ob air pollution, sampling and testing methods at boundaries of buffer zones, control of fugitive dust, i.e. any airborne solid matter emitted from any source other than stack or chimney, control of...
KeywordsLegislation, Permitting, Air pollution, Industrial sources, Fixed point sources, Air quality standards, Mobile point sources, Air quality monitoring, Monitoring stations, Burning, Zones, Zoning, Compliance, Pollutants, Concentration-based standards, Air quality, Concentrations, Particulate matter, Point source controls, Fuel burning, Public health, Sulphur dioxide, Air quality modelling, Carbon monoxide, Environmental impact assessments, Point source emissions, Enforcement, Filters, Inspection, Nitrogen monoxide, Pollution abatement technologiesEmission Protection Act - Air.| 1997 |Legislation
AustriaThis Act is a basic piece of legislation to curb air pollution. The purpose of this Act is to protect human beings, animals and plants, the soil, water, the atmosphere as well as cultural assets against harmful effects on the environment. At the outset the Act contains a definition clause relating to various terms therein employed such as, for exemple, “harmful substances”, “emission”, “threshold...
KeywordsAir pollution, PM2.5, PM10, Legislation, Air quality monitoring, Concentration-based standards, Enforcement, Carbon monoxideNOM-021-SSA1-1993. DOF, NORMA Oficial Mexicana NOM-021-SSA1-1993, Salud ambiental. Criterio para evaluar la calidad del aire ambiente con respecto al monóxido de carbono (CO).| 1994 |Regulation
MexicoKeywordsCarbon monoxide, Air Quality Guidelines, World Health Organization, Air pollutionNOM-023-SSA1-1993. DOF, NORMA Oficial Mexicana NOM-023-SSA1-1993, Salud ambiental. Criterio para evaluar la calidad del aire ambiente con respecto al bióxido de nitrógeno (NO2).| 1994 |Regulation
MexicoKeywordsNitrogen dioxide, Air quality, Air Quality Guidelines, World Health Organization, Ambient air quality standards, Nitrogen oxides, Ozone, Air pollutionNational Environmental (Ambient Air Quality) Regulations, 1994.| 1994 |Regulation
Sri LankaThese Regulations provide for permissible ambient air quality standards. The Central Environmental Authority shall approve the equipment to carry out the requisite tests for determining whether the specified air quality standards are maintained.
KeywordsAmbient air, Air quality, LegislationAct containing provisions concerning general matters of environmental hygiene (Environment Management Act).| 1979 |Legislation
NetherlandsThis Act lays down, in 18 Chapters, subdivided in articles, the general principles of environment protection in the Netherlands, creates a framework for administration, planning and decision-making at a national and subnational level, and regulates various environment protection matters in more detail. These matters include the development and establishment of environment quality standards (Chap...
KeywordsPermitting, Concentrations, Air quality standards, EnforcementEnvironmental Quality Standards in Japan| 1973 |Miscellaneous
JapanKeywordsAir quality standards, Air quality, Particulate matter, Zones, Zoning, Nitrogen dioxide, Ozone, Sulphur dioxide, Carbon monoxide, Monitoring stations, Benzene, Concentrations, Filters, PM2.5, Air quality monitoringNational Primary and Secondary Ambient Air Quality Standards (Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Title 40, Part 50)| 1971 |Regulation
United States of AmericaKeywordsPrimary and secondary ambient air quality standards, LegislationEnvironment and Health Protection – Requirements for Ambient Air Quality and Point Source/Stack Emission (GS 1236:2019)|Miscellaneous
GhanaKeywordsAir pollution, Ambient air, Air quality, Point source emissions, Public health, Fixed point sources, Concentrations, Particulate matter, Pollutants, Monitoring stations, Sulphur dioxide, Concentration-based standards, Air quality monitoring, Nitrogen oxides, Air quality standards, Carbon monoxide, Filters, Nitrogen dioxide, Non-point sources, Nitrogen monoxide, Black carbon, Burning, Industrial sources, Legislation, Mobile point sources, Monitoring data, Ozone, PM10, PM2.5, Point source controls, Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, Vulnerable groups, Volatile organic compounds, BenzeneMongolia Standard MNS 4585:2016|Miscellaneous
MongoliaKeywordsAir quality monitoring, Air quality, Legislation, Industrial sources, Concentrations, Carbon monoxide, Air pollution, Particulate matter, Monitoring stations, Zones, Zoning, Pollutants, Sulphur dioxide, Nitrogen dioxide, Nitrogen monoxide, Ozone, PM10, PM2.5Pagination
- PM10 (20 μg/m3 annual mean)