- Show enhanced digital format versions only
Search Global Air Quality Laws
Country
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Armenia
- Australia
- Azerbaijan
- Bahrain
- Bolivia (Plurinational State of)
- Brazil
- Cambodia
- Canada
- Chile
- China
- Colombia
- Dominican Republic
- Egypt
- Ghana
- Jordan
- Kazakhstan
- Kenya
- Kuwait
- Lao People's Democratic Republic
- Luxembourg
- Mexico
- Mozambique
- Netherlands
- Nicaragua
- Oman
- Paraguay
- Qatar
- Republic of Korea
- Republic of Moldova
- Saudi Arabia
- Sri Lanka
- Timor-Leste
- United Arab Emirates
- Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of
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
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 11 - 20 of 48 resultsResolución Nº 2254 - Norma de calidad del aire ambiente.| 2017 |Regulation
ColombiaLa presente Resolución establece la norma de calidad del aire o nivel de inmisión y adopta disposiciones para la gestión del recurso aire en el territorio nacional, con el objeto de garantizar un ambiente sano y minimizar el riesgo sobre la salud humana que pueda ser causado por la exposición a los contaminantes en la atmósfera. La norma establece los niveles máximos permisibles a condiciones de...
Guidance Document on Achievement Determination for Canadian Ambient Air Quality Standards for Nitrogen Dioxide (2020)| 2017 |Miscellaneous
CanadaThis Guidance Document provides information, methodologies, criteria and procedures for reporting on air quality standards for Nitrogen dioxide
KeywordsAmbient air quality standards, Nitrogen dioxide, Concentrations, Zones, Zoning, Monitoring stations, Air quality standards, Air quality, Air quality monitoring, Air pollution, Pollutants, Industrial sources, Allowed exceedances, Ambient air, Air sheds, Mobile point sources, Legislation, Nitrogen monoxide, Stakeholders, Transboundary air pollutionGuidance Document on Achievement Determination: Canadian Ambient Air Quality Standards for Fine Particulate Matter and Ozone (2012)| 2017 |Miscellaneous
CanadaThis Guidance Document provides information, methodologies, criteria and procedures for reporting on air quality standards for PM and ozone.
KeywordsAmbient air quality standards, PM2.5, Zones, Zoning, Concentrations, Ozone, Air quality monitoring, Monitoring stations, Air quality standards, Air quality, Particulate matter, Air pollution, Pollutants, Ambient air, Air sheds, Monitoring data, Siting criteria, Stakeholders, Agglomerations, Air quality modelling, Concentration-based standards, Industrial sources, Legislation, Nitrogen monoxideDecree on the National Environmental Standard No. 0832/MONRE, 2015| 2017 |Legislation
Lao People's Democratic RepublicKeywordsPermitting, Pollutants, Legislation, Air quality monitoring, Nitrogen monoxide, InspectionLegislation | 2016 |National Environment Protection (Ambient Air Quality) Measure
AustraliaAustralia National Environment Protection (Ambient Air Quality) Measure Measure ENVIRONMENT-PROTECTION-AMBIENT-AIR-QUALITY of 2016 Commenced [This is the version of this document at 18 May 2021.] Part 1 – Preliminary 1 Citation This Measure may be cited as the National Environment Protection (Ambient Air Quality) Measure. 2 Definitions (1) This section defines particular words and expressions used...Resolución Nº 259/15 – Por la cual se establecen parámetros permisibles de calidad del aire.| 2015 |Regulation
ParaguayEn el marco de la Ley de calidad del aire, por la presente Resolución se establecen los parámetros permisibles de calidad del aire. El artículo 1º contiene un cuadro detallado según los distintos contaminantes.
KeywordsNitrogen dioxide, Nitrogen monoxide, Carbon monoxide, Nitrogen oxidesLegislation | 2014 |Environmental Management and Co-ordination (Air Quality) Regulations, 2014
KenyaKenya Environmental Management and Co-ordination Act, 1999 Environmental Management and Co-ordination (Air Quality) Regulations, 2014 Legal Notice 34 of 2014 Published in Kenya Gazette Supplement 41 on 11 April 2014 Assented to on 20 March 2014 Commenced on 11 April 2014 [This is the version of this document from 11 April 2014.] IN EXERCISE of the powers conferred by sections 147 of the...NOM-025-SSA1-2014. DOF, NORMA Oficial Mexicana NOM-025-SSA1-2014, Salud ambiental. Valores límites permisibles para la concentración de partículas suspendidas PM10 y PM2.5 en el aire ambiente y criterios para su evaluación.| 2014 |Regulation
MexicoKeywordsPM10, PM2.5, Particulate matterNOM-020-SSA1-2014. DOF, NORMA Oficial Mexicana NOM-020-SSA1-2014. Valor límite permisible para la concentración de ozono (O3) en el aire ambiente y criterios para su evaluación.| 2014 |Regulation
MexicoKeywordsAir pollution, Ozone, Nitrogen dioxide, Nitrogen oxides, Concentrations, PM10, Pollutants, Air quality modelling, Carbon monoxide, Particulate matterDecree-Law No. 26/2012 establishing the Environmental Basic Legislation.| 2012 |Legislation
Timor-LesteThis Decree-Law, consisting of 10 Chapters, establishes the Environmental Basic Legislation. It specifies the policy on environment and wildlife protection, including the basic principles for conservation, preservation and sustainable use of natural resources in order to improve the quality of life of the local populations. This Decree-Law applies for all the National territory, in particular for...
KeywordsLegislation, Zones, ZoningPagination
- PM10 (20 μg/m3 annual mean)