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 281 - 290 of 294 results

Legislation

| 1979 |

Netherlands

Act containing provisions concerning general matters of environmental hygiene (Environment Management Act).

This 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...

Keywords

Permitting, Concentrations, Air quality standards, Enforcement

Legislation

| 1976 |

Namibia

Atmospheric Pollution Prevention Ordinance (No. 11 of 1976).

This Ordinance provides for the control of control of noxious or offensive gases (defined), atmospheric pollution by smoke, dust control, and pollution of the atmosphere by gases emitted by vehicles. it grants certain powers to the executive and in particular the Director of Health Services, an inspector or an urban local authority to exercise the powers and perform the duties and functions...

Keywords

Legislation, Inspection, Fuel burning, Zones, Industrial sources, Air pollution, Burning, Zoning, Permitting, Ammonia, Benzene, Carbon monoxide, Particulate matter, Compliance, Monitoring stations, Concentrations, Waste burning

Miscellaneous

| 1973 |

Japan

Environmental Quality Standards in Japan

Keywords

Air quality standards, Air quality, Particulate matter, Zones, Zoning, Nitrogen dioxide, Ozone, Sulphur dioxide, Carbon monoxide, Monitoring stations, Benzene, Concentrations, Filters, PM2.5, Air quality monitoring

Legislation | 1973 |

Argentina

Plan de prevención de situaciones críticas de contaminación atmosféricas

Argentina Plan de prevención de situaciones críticas de contaminación atmosféricas Act 20-284 of 1973 Published on 31 diciembre 1973 Assented to on 16 abril 1973 Commencement date unknown [This is the version of this document from 31 diciembre 1973.] [No se pudo determinar la fecha de publicación de esta obra. Se utilizó la fecha del 31 de diciembre de 1973, año en que fue aprobada.] En uso de las...

Legislation

| 1973 |

Argentina

Ley Nº 20.284 - Ley sobre contaminación atmosférica.

La presente Ley, cuya finalidad es prevenir la contaminación atmosférica, establece normas que deberán aplicarse a todas las fuentes capaces de producir contaminación atmósferica ubicadas en jurisdicción federal y en la de las provincias que adhieran a la misma. El texto consta de los siguientes capítulos: (I) Generalidades; (II) De las Normas de Calidad y de los Niveles Máximos de Emisión; (III)...

Keywords

Carbon monoxide, Sulphur dioxide, Air pollution, Nitrogen monoxide, Nitrogen dioxide, Nitrogen oxides, Air quality monitoring

Legislation

| 1972 |

Canada

Environment Quality Act (R.S.Q., c. Q-2).

The present Act lays down provisions pertaining to the quality of the environment, At the outset the Act contains a definition clause relating to various terms therein employed, such as “water”, “soil”, “atmosphere”, “environment”, “pollution”, “source of contamination”. Section 2 deals with the functions of the Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment and Parks. For example, he may...

Keywords

Legislation, Zones, Zoning, Industrial sources, Air pollution, Permitting, Concentration-based standards, Concentrations, Compliance, Environmental impact assessments, Air quality monitoring, Monitoring stations, Public health, Pollutants, Inspection, Substantive human rights

Regulation

| 1971 |

United States of America

National Primary and Secondary Ambient Air Quality Standards (Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Title 40, Part 50)

Keywords

Primary and secondary ambient air quality standards, Legislation

Legislation | 1970 |

Canada

Guidance Document on Achievement Determination for Canadian Ambient Air Quality Standards for Sulphur Dioxide (2020)

This Guidance Document provides information, methodologies, criteria and procedures for reporting on air quality standards for Sulphur Dioxide

Keywords

Ambient air quality standards, Nitrogen dioxide, Sulphur 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 pollution

Legislation | 1970 |

United States of America

Clean Air Act, 1970

United States Clean Air Act, 1970 Act 42 of 1970 Commencement date unknown [This is the version of this document at 4 July 2025.] Title I — Air pollution prevention and control Part A – Air quality and emission limitations 101. Findings and purposes (a) The Congress finds— (1) that the predominant part of the Nation's population is located in its rapidly expanding metropolitan and other urban...

Miscellaneous

Ghana

Environment and Health Protection – Requirements for Ambient Air Quality and Point Source/Stack Emission (GS 1236:2019)

Keywords

Air 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, Benzene

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