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Search Global Air Quality Laws
Country
- Afghanistan
- Albania
- Argentina
- Armenia
- Australia
- Azerbaijan
- Belgium
- Benin
- Bhutan
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Brazil
- Bulgaria
- Cambodia
- Canada
- China
- Colombia
- Costa Rica
- Czechia
- Dominican Republic
- El Salvador
- European Union
- Finland
- Germany
- Ghana
- Guinea
- Indonesia
- Jamaica
- Japan
- Jordan
- Kazakhstan
- Kenya
- Kuwait
- Lao People's Democratic Republic
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Marshall Islands
- Mongolia
- Montenegro
- Morocco
- Mozambique
- Nepal
- Nicaragua
- Nigeria
- Palau
- Panama
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Philippines
- Qatar
- Republic of Korea
- Republic of Moldova
- Romania
- Saudi Arabia
- Senegal
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Syrian Arab Republic
- Tajikistan
- Turkey
- Turkmenistan
- Ukraine
- United Arab Emirates
- United States of America
- Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of
- Viet Nam
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
- In a non-binding 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
- Policy/guidance
- 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 31 - 40 of 74 resultsClean Air Regulation (RRQ, c Q-2, r 4.1).| 2011 |Regulation
CanadaThe present Regulation is made under the Environment Quality Act (R.S.Q. c. Q. 2). In particular, the object of the Regulation is to establish particle and gas emission standards, emission opacity standards, air quality standards and monitoring measures to prevent, eliminate, or reduce the emission of contaminants into the atmosphere. The text consists of 218 sections divided into 7 chapters as...
KeywordsAir pollution, Legislation, Concentration-based standards, Industrial sources, Volatile organic compounds, Concentrations, Fuel burning, Monitoring stations, Point source controls, Nitrogen oxides, Air quality monitoring, Carbon monoxide, Burning, Air quality modelling, Sulphur dioxide, Air quality standards, Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, Zoning, Permitting, Zones, Ammonia, Benzene, Compliance, Fixed point sources, Waste burning39th Federal Emission Protection Ordinance.| 2010 |Regulation
GermanyThe above-mentioned Ordinance implements the Directive 2008/50/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 May 2008 on ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe. This Directive defines objectives for ambient air quality designed to avoid, prevent or reduce harmful effects on human health and the environment as a whole. At the outset the Ordinance contains a definition clause...
KeywordsAir pollution, PM2.5, PM10, Nitrogen dioxide, Nitrogen oxides, Particulate matter, Ammonia, Methane, Sulphur dioxide, Volatile organic compounds, Benzo(a)pyrene, Nitrogen monoxideRegulation No 12 of 15 July 2010 on limit values for sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, fine particulate matter, lead, benzene, carbon monoxide and ozone in ambient air.| 2010 |Regulation
BulgariaThis Regulation establishes the national standards setting effective permitted levels or concentration as regards the presence of certain substances and pollutants (substances such as sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, fine particulate matter, lead, benzene, carbon monoxide and ozone) in ambient air on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria. This text further sets the alert thresholds for sulfur...
KeywordsNitrogen dioxide, Ozone, Sulphur dioxide, Ambient air, Concentrations, Benzene, Carbon monoxide, Legislation, PM2.5, Concentration-based standards, Alert thresholds, Nitrogen monoxide, Permitting, Pollutants, PM10, Particulate matter, Air quality, Access to informationArrêté du Gouvernement wallon relatif à l'évaluation et la gestion de la qualité de l'air ambiant.| 2010 |Regulation
BelgiumLe présent arrêté a pour objectifs d'organiser l'évaluation et la gestion de la qualité de l'air ambiant en vue de: 1) définir et fixer des objectifs concernant la qualité de l'air ambiant afin d'éviter, de prévenir ou de réduire les effets nocifs pour la santé humaine et pour l'environnement dans son ensemble; 2) évaluer la qualité de l'air ambiant sur la base de méthodes et de critères communs...
KeywordsZoning, Zones, Concentrations, Agglomerations, PM2.5, Benzo(a)pyrene, PM10, Benzene, Air pollution, Industrial sources, Nitrogen dioxide, Particulate matter, Methane, Nitrogen monoxideCabinet Regulation No. 1290 on Ambient Air Quality| 2009 |Regulation
LatviaThe Regulation prescribes quality standards for outdoor air in the troposphere (excluding workplaces) in the territory of Latvia, as well as deadlines for ensuring of ambient air quality standards; permissible level of air pollutants in the environment and characteristic values thereof; parameters, monitoring methods and methods which are used in order to determine exceedance of the relevant...
KeywordsConcentrations, Legislation, Air quality monitoring, Air quality, Concentration-based standards, Ambient air, Monitoring stations, Air quality standards, Ambient air quality standards, Zoning, Pollutants, Future standards, Agglomerations, Particulate matter, Zones, PM10, Air pollution, Ozone, Alert thresholds, Nitrogen dioxide, Allowed exceedances, Benzo(a)pyrene, Compliance, PM2.5, Ambient air pollution, Benzene, Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, Sulphur dioxide, Air quality modelling, Carbon monoxide, Data quality, Nitrogen oxides, Vulnerable groups, Access to information, Industrial sources, Nitrogen monoxide, Elemental carbon, Monitoring data, Volatile organic compoundsRegulation on Reduction and Prevention of Air Pollution.| 2009 |Regulation
AfghanistanThis Regulation is enacted to establish the goals for reduction and prevention of air pollution, prevention of damages to the human beings and environment by the high risk air pollution and prevention of spread and distribution of changing elements of the physical and chemical structure of air. The Regulation identifies the air polluting elements including automobiles and motoring vehicles...
KeywordsAir pollution, Legislation, Industrial sources, Concentration-based standardsDecreto Nº 5 - Normas ambientales de emisiones de fuentes fijas.| 2009 |Regulation
PanamaEl presente Decreto tiene por objeto establecer los límites máximos permisibles de emisiones al aire producidas por fuentes fijas con el fin de proteger de la contaminación atmosférica la salud de la población, los recursos naturales y la calidad del ambiente.
KeywordsNitrogen dioxide, Nitrogen oxides, Sulphur dioxide, Elemental carbon, Sulphur oxidesDécret nº 2-09-286 fixant les normes de qualité de l'air et les modalités de surveillance de l'air.| 2009 |Regulation
MoroccoLe présent décret a pour objet de fixer les normes de qualité de l'air et de définir les modalités de mise en place des réseaux de surveillance de la qualité de l'air telles que prévues aux articles 3, 4 et 24 de la loi n° 13-03. qui vise la prévention et la lutte contre les émissions de polluants atmosphériques susceptibles de porter atteinte à la santé de l'homme, à la faune, au sol, au climat...
KeywordsAir pollution, Concentrations, Agglomerations, Benzene, Nitrogen dioxide, Sulphur dioxide, Carbon monoxide, Zones, Zoning, OzoneClean Air Ordinance.| 2008 |Regulation
LiechtensteinThe present Ordinance implements the Environment Protection Act of 29 May 2008. In particular, the Ordinance shall protect human beings, animals, plants and their organized communities, as well as the soil against harmful and annoying air pollution. Moreover, the Ordinance shall reduce green house gas emissions. The text consists of 34 articles divided into 5 Parts as follows: General provisions...
KeywordsAir pollution, Nitrogen dioxide, Carbon monoxide, Nitrogen oxides, PM10, PM2.5, Benzene, Zones, Zoning, Sulphur dioxide, Sulphur oxidesRegulation on air quality assessment and management.| 2008 |Regulation
TurkeyThis Regulation sets forth principles and objectives concerning air quality so as to avoid or reduce harmful effects on human health and the environment as a whole. It lays down provisions governing the assessment of air quality on the basis of defined methods and criteria. Furthermore, it defines procedures to obtain adequate information on air quality and ensure that it is made available to the...
KeywordsConcentration-based standards, Legislation, Air quality, PM10, PM2.5, Nitrogen dioxide, Air quality modelling, Sulphur dioxide, Particulate matter, Benzo(a)pyrenePagination
- PM10 (20 μg/m3 annual mean)