Legislation Explorer | UNEP Law and Environment Assistance Platform

Search Global Air Quality Laws

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.
- Compliant with WHO guideline
- Weaker than WHO guideline
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.
- Compliant with WHO guideline
- Weaker than WHO guideline
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.
- Compliant with WHO guideline
- Weaker than WHO guideline
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.
- Compliant with WHO guideline
- Weaker than WHO guideline
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.
- Compliant with WHO guideline
- Weaker than WHO guideline
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.
- Compliant with WHO guideline
- Weaker than WHO guideline
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.
- Compliant with WHO guideline
- Weaker than WHO guideline
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.
- Yes

Showing 21 - 30 of 48 results

Legislation

| 2012 |

Timor-Leste

Decree-Law No. 26/2012 establishing the Environmental Basic Legislation.

This 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...

Keywords

Legislation, Zones, Zoning

Miscellaneous

| 2012 |

China

Ambient Air Quality Standards (National Standard GB 3095-2012)

This Standard presents requirements for the zoning of ambient air quality function areas, classification of standards, pollution items, data taking time and concentration limits, sampling and analyzing methods and validity of data statistics. It is applicable to the assessment of air quality across China. There are three grades of ambient air quality function areas: Grade I is nature reserves...

Keywords

Ambient air quality standards, Particulate matter, PM10, PM2.5, Ambient air

Regulation

| 2012 |

Montenegro

Regulation determining the type of pollutants, limit values and other air quality standards.

This Regulation defines the types of air pollutants on the territory of Montenegro, limit values and other air quality standards and characteristics, evaluation limits, target values, critical levels and necessary measures aimed to protect human health and life, as well as deadlines for gradual reaching of the limits and target values of air quality and long-term objectives for ozone preservation...

Keywords

Legislation, Pollutants, Concentration-based standards, Air quality standards

Legislation

| 2011 |

Romania

Law No. 104 “On air quality.”

The scope of this Law is to protect human health and the environment as a whole by regulating measures to maintain air quality to meet air quality objectives established by this Law and its improvement. This Law provides for measures at national level regarding: (a) definition and setting ambient air quality targets to avoid and prevent the occurrence of harmful events and reduce their effects on...

Keywords

Air quality, Zones, Zoning, Ambient air, Air pollution, Permitting, Concentrations, Benzo(a)pyrene, Air quality monitoring, Nitrogen monoxide, Pollutants, Carbon monoxide, Best available techniques, Monitoring data, Particulate matter, Air quality plans

Regulation

| 2010 |

Germany

39th Federal Emission Protection Ordinance.

The 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...

Keywords

Air pollution, PM2.5, PM10, Nitrogen dioxide, Nitrogen oxides, Particulate matter, Ammonia, Methane, Sulphur dioxide, Volatile organic compounds, Benzo(a)pyrene, Nitrogen monoxide

Regulation

| 2010 |

Bulgaria

Regulation 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.

This 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...

Keywords

Nitrogen 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 information

Regulation

| 2010 |

Belgium

Arrêté du Gouvernement wallon relatif à l'évaluation et la gestion de la qualité de l'air ambiant.

Le 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...

Keywords

Zoning, Zones, Concentrations, Agglomerations, PM2.5, Benzo(a)pyrene, PM10, Benzene, Air pollution, Industrial sources, Nitrogen dioxide, Particulate matter, Methane, Nitrogen monoxide

Regulation

| 2009 |

Latvia

Cabinet Regulation No. 1290 on Ambient Air Quality

The 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...

Keywords

Concentrations, 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 compounds

Regulation

| 2009 |

Afghanistan

Regulation on Reduction and Prevention of Air Pollution.

This 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...

Keywords

Air pollution, Legislation, Industrial sources, Concentration-based standards

Regulation

| 2008 |

Liechtenstein

Clean Air Ordinance.

The 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...

Keywords

Air pollution, Nitrogen dioxide, Carbon monoxide, Nitrogen oxides, PM10, PM2.5, Benzene, Zones, Zoning, Sulphur dioxide, Sulphur oxides

Search Global Air Quality Laws

Year

Ambient Air Quality Standards

Responsibility for air quality standards

Indoor Air Quality Standards

Type of instrument

Nature of legal obligations

Exceedances

Compliance with WHO Air Quality Guidelines (2005)

Legal requirement to monitor

Procedural and substantive rights

Legal coordination of policy to achieve AAQS

Enforcement mechanisms

Provisions for transboundary air pollution

Search Global Air Quality Laws

Country

UN regional group

Year

Ambient Air Quality Standards

Responsibility for air quality standards

Indoor Air Quality Standards

Type of instrument

Nature of legal obligations

Exceedances

Compliance with WHO Air Quality Guidelines (2005)

Legal requirement to monitor

Procedural and substantive rights

Legal coordination of policy to achieve AAQS

Enforcement mechanisms

Provisions for transboundary air pollution