Air Quality in Asia:

Status and Trends

2010 Edition

Clean Air Initiative for Asian Cities (CAI-Asia) Center

Air Quality in Asia: Status and Trends

2010 Edition

April 2010

Clean Air Initiative for Asian Cities (CAI-Asia) Center

Unit 3510, 35th Floor, Robinsons-Equitable Tower ADB, Avenue, Pasig City, Metro Manila, Philippines

 2010 Clean Air Initiative for Asian Cities Center. All rights reserved.

Clean Air Initiative for Asian Cities (CAI-Asia) Center, 2010. Air Quality in Asia: Status and Trends - 2010 Edition. Pasig City, Philippines.

This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part in any form for educational or non-profit purposes without special permission from the copyright holder, provided acknowledgment of the source is made. The CAI-Asia Center would appreciate receiving a copy of any publication that uses this CAI-Asia Center publication as a source. No use of this publication may be made for resale or for any other commercial purpose whatsoever, without prior permission in writing from the CAI-Asia Center.

Disclaimer The views expressed in this publication are those of CAI-Asia staff, consultants and management, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Board of Trustees of the CAI-Asia Center. The CAI-Asia Center does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this publication and does not accept responsibility for consequence of their use.

Acknowledgment This publication makes use of information published on the Clean Air Portal (www.cleanairinitiative.org) that was developed with support from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) through the Japan Special Fund together with CAI-Asia Partnership members.

Contact CAI-Asia Center Unit 3510, Robinsons-Equitable Tower, ADB Avenue, Pasig City, 1605, Metro Manila, Philippines Tel +63 2 395 2843 Fax +63 2 395 2846 center@cai-asia.org www.cleanairninitiative.org

Photo CAI-Asia Center

Introduction Status of Air Quality PM10 Concentrations in Asia 2008 SO2 Concentrations in Asia 2008 NO2 Concentrations in Asia 2008 Trends of Air Quality Status of Air Quality Standards Development of National Ambient Air Quality Standards Air Quality Monitoring and Reporting World Health Organization Ambient Air Quality Guidelines Existence of NAAQS in Asia Comparison of NAAQS with WHO AQG, US EPA NAAQS and EU AQ Standards

1 2 2 4 6 8 9 9 9 10 11 13

Introduction

Clean Air Initiative for Asian Cities (CAI-Asia)s mission is to Promote better air quality and livable cities by translating knowledge to policies and actions that reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from transport, energy and other sectors.
CAI-Asia recognizes that while information and knowledge on air quality management are increasingly generated in Asia, they are fragmented in different documents and websites. To ensure that decision-makers have better access to knowledge on clean air management that can assist in policy development, CAI-Asia has been releasing publications and presentations that provide a comprehensive and comparative assessment of the status and challenges of air quality management in Asia. Starting with only 20 cities in 2003, CAI-Asia now has compiled information on air quality and pollutant levels from over 200 Asian cities.1 Air Quality in Asia: Status and Trends, 2010 edition is now composed of two parts Status and Trends of Air Quality, which provides a snapshot of air quality levels in 2008 and trends of air quality from 1993 to 2008. Status of Air Quality Standards, which provides an overview of the ambient air quality standards adopted by developing Asian countries.

Analysis of air quality levels and ambient air quality standards in Asian cities, indicate that While some improvements in air quality have been achieved, levels of PM10 and SO2 continue to exceed World Health Organization (WHO) air quality guidelines (AQG). There is not enough air quality data to assess PM2.5 and ozone. Most Asian countries have already adopted National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for criteria pollutants (except for PM2.5). Ambient air quality standards of most countries lag behind WHO AQG and US EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) NAAQS. Based on this study, CAI-Asia advocates That countries without NAAQS, adopt ambient air quality standards to protect public health That cities monitor air quality levels to monitor compliance to NAAQS That air quality information be made widely available to public For a process of developing a roadmap on air quality standards in Asia moving towards achieving WHO guidelines

For more information, contact: Clean Air Initiative for Asian Cities (CAI-Asia) Center 3510 Robinsons Equitable Tower, ADB Avenue, Ortigas Center, Pasig City, 1605 Philippines Tel: (63-2) 395-2843/(63-2) 395-2845 Fax: (63-2) 395-2846 Email: center@cai-asia.org

The efforts in collecting air quality data from the different cities commenced during the implementation of the Air Pollution in the Major and Mega-cities of Asia project in 2003, in cooperation with UNEP and WHO. As of April 2010, CAIAsia now has air quality data for 234 Asian cities.

Status of Air Quality

PM10 Concentrations in Asia 2008

In 2008, CAI-Asia was able to collect annual average PM10 concentrations for 230 Asian cities. Monitoring results reflects PM10 as a critical pollutant for most Asian cities. From these 230 cities, only two had annual average PM10 concentrations within the WHO AQG (20 g/m3) while about 58% of these cities had annual PM10 levels exceeding even WHO Interim Target-1 (IT-1) of 70 g/m3. The average of annual average PM10 concentrations of 230 cities is 89.5 g/m3about 4.5 times higher than WHO AQG.
Figure 1 Annual Particulate Matter (PM10) concentrations in 230 cities in Asia.

11 g/m3

Each dot represents annual average PM10 concentrations for 2008.

375 g/m3

Note: Annual PM10 concentrations range from 11 (minimum) to 375 (maximum) micrograms per cubic meter 3 (g/m ). PM10 = Particles with aerodynamic particle diameters of 10 micrometers or less. Source: CAI-Asia Center, 2010.

Status of Air Quality

Figure 2 Distribution of Asian Cities relative to 2008 PM10 concentration.

20

2 cities (1%) 6 cities (3%) 38 cities (17%) 49 cities (21%)

WHO AQG, 20g/m3 WHO IT-3, 30g/m3 WHO IT-2, 50g/m3 WHO IT-1, 70g/m3

30

50

PM10 Concentration (g/m3)

70

100

59 cities (26%) 55 cities (24%) 13 cities (6%) 6 cities (3%) 2 cities (1%)
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70

150

200

250 Above 250

Number of Cities (Total: 230 cities)

WHO = World Health Organization; AQG = air quality guideline; IT = interim target; g/m = microgram per cubic meter; PM10 = Particles with aerodynamic particle diameters of 10 micrometers or less. Source: CAI-Asia Center, 2010.

Status of Air Quality

SO2 Concentrations in Asia 2008

SO2 monitoring data for 213 Asian cities show that SO2 levels are still a problem for some Asian cities, particularly those in or are within the vicinity of industries. Average of annual average SO2 concentrations of 213 Asian cities is 18.7 g/m3. The WHO does prescribe an annual guideline for SO2, but rather, prescribes a 24-hour AQG 20 g/m3. Based on the 2005 Global Update of AQG by WHO, an annual AQG for SO2 was not established because the 24-hr AQG is already low and achieving the 24-hr AQG ensures that the annual average SO2 concentration will even be lower. About 40% of the cities had annual average SO2 levels equal or lower than 10 g/m3. However, 24% of cities annual average SO2 concentrations do not meet even the 24-hr WHO AQG.
Figure 3 Annual Sulfur dioxide (SO2) concentrations in 213 cities in Asia.

1.3 g/m3

Each dot represents annual average SO2 concentrations for 2008.

105 g/m3

Note: Annual SO2 concentrations range from 1.3 (minimum) to 105 (maximum) micrograms per cubic meter 3 (g/m ). Source: CAI-Asia Center, 2010.

Status of Air Quality

Figure 4 Distribution of Asian Cities relative to 2008 SO2 concentration.

10

85 cities (40%)

20

77 cities (36%) WHO AQG (24-hr) 20g/m3

SO2 Concentration (g/m3)

30

19 cities (9%)

40

6 cities (3%)

50

8 cities (4%)

Above 50

18 cities (8%)

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

Number of Cities (Total: 213 cities)

3

WHO = World Health Organization; AQG = air quality guideline; g/m = microgram per cubic meter; SO2 = Sulfur dioxide Source: CAI-Asia Center, 2010.

Status of Air Quality

NO2 Concentrations in Asia 2008

In 2008, annual average NO2 monitoring data for 234 Asian cities show that NO2 levels are relatively low and well within the WHO AQG (40 g/m3) for most cities. 73% of the 234 cities have annual average NO2 concentrations below the WHO AQG. The average of annual average NO2 concentrations for 234 Asian cities is 30.7 g/m3within the WHO AQG.

Figure 5 Annual Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) concentrations in 234 cities in Asia.

1.9 g/m3

Each dot represents annual average NO2 concentrations for 2008.

77 g/m3

Note: Annual NO2 concentrations range from 1.9 (minimum) to 77 (maximum) micrograms per cubic meter 3 (g/m ). Source: CAI-Asia Center, 2010.

Status of Air Quality

Figure 6 Distribution of Asian Cities relative to 2008 NO2 concentration.

40

171 cities (73%) WHO AQG, 40g/m3

50

30 cities (13%)

NO2 Concentration (g/m3)

60

70

9 cities (4%)

80

5 cities (2%)

Above 80

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

Number of Cities (Total: 234 cities)

3

WHO = World Health Organization; AQG = air quality guideline; g/m = microgram per cubic meter; NO2 = Nitrogen dioxide Source: CAI-Asia Center, 2010.

Air Quality Trends

Understanding the air quality trends/tendency for Asia is a difficult taskwith one major challenge is the
limitations experienced by many Asian cities in air quality monitoring and reporting capacity. Nonetheless, CAI-Asia Center has been collecting available air quality monitoring data for over 200 Asian cities over the years to have an indication on the trend of air pollution in Asian cities. Upon analysis of these data, CAI-Asia has found that

PM10 is still a major pollutant is Asian citieswith the average of annual average PM10
concentrations over three times above the WHO guidelines since 1993. Since 1995, most Asian cities have reported relatively low NO2 levels, with annual average concentrations well within the WHO AQG. Regarding SO2 levels, although there has been a marked decrease from 1993 to 2000, a number of Asian cities have annual average SO2 concentrations do not meet even the 24-hr WHO AQG.
Figure 7 Average of Annual Average Annual Ambient AQ in Selected Asian Cities (1993-2008).
120

US EPA NAAQS (annual) EU AQ Standard (annual) WHO AQG (annual)

100

80

Concentration (ug/m3)

60

40

20

1993

1995

1997

1999

2001

2003

2005

2007

1993

1995

1997

1999

2001

2003

2005

2007

1993

1995

1997

1999

2001

2003

2005

PM10
3

NO2

SO2

AQ = air quality; g/m = micrograms per cubic meter; US EPA = United Stated Environmental Protection Agency; NAAQS = National Ambient Air Quality Standards; EU = European Union; WHO = World Health Organization; AQG = air quality guidelines; PM10 = Particles with aerodynamic particle diameters of 10 micrometers or less; NO2 = Nitrogen dioxide; SO2 = Sulfur dioxide. Source: CAI-Asia, 2010. [Note: Air quality data is compiled by CAI-Asia Center from official sources (publications, personal communications) for 243 Asian cities as of April 2010.]

2007

Status of Air Quality Standards

The adoption of ambient air quality standards and monitoring of their compliance is one of the main policy
tools to protect the health of public from the adverse effects of air pollution. In 2009, CAI-Asia Center conducted a survey to understand the status of National Air Quality Standards in Asia.

Development of National Ambient Air Quality Standards

In Asia, governments, whether at country or city level, have adopted a range of air quality standards, most of which are based on the prevailing international guidelines, such as WHO AQG and US EPA NAAQS, at the time of development. Ideally, countries or cities should develop standards after considering prevailing exposure levels, meteorological and topographical conditions, socio-economic levels, natural background concentration, and population susceptibility, among others. Ambient air quality standards are set to protect public health and the environment from the harmful effects of air pollution. The standards come in different forms based on different factors. Short-term standards aim to protect population from acute exposure to pollutant whereas long-term standards aim to protect population from long-term exposure to the pollutant.

Air Quality Monitoring and Reporting

To monitor compliance to the standards, authorities often, at the city level, install air quality monitoring systems. In addition, air quality monitoring systems also aid in assessing effectiveness of air quality policies. Asia has seen improvements in capacities for air quality monitoring and reporting. More cities are now able to report on their air quality levels. However, air quality reporting remains to be widely variable in Asian cities. Some cities report actual air quality levels versus some which report with use of air quality indices. Some cities also report air quality information real-time while others continue to do this on ad hoc basis.
PHOTO BELOW Mobile air quality monitoring station in Metro Manila. This is operated by the Environmental Management Bureau National Capital Region (EMB-NCR). PHOTO LEFT Automatic air quality monitoring station in Cebu City. This is operated by EMB Region 7.

Photo CAI-Asia Center

Photo CAI-Asia Center

Status of Air Quality Standards

World Health Organization Ambient Air Quality Guidelines

The WHO assists countries in reducing the health effects of air pollution by providing guidance to countries in setting their NAAQS through the WHO Ambient AQG. The WHO AQG, first published in 1987, identify pollutant levels below which exposure to a pollutant for a given averaging time either does not constitute a health risk or the least health risk. In 2005, the WHO updated the AQGs by setting guidelines for PM10 and PM2.5. The 2005 Global Update also indicated that reducing levels of PM10 could decrease mortality in polluted cities by as much as 15% every year. Interim targets were also provided for some pollutants. The ITs are targets which the countries can adopt as they progressively move towards the WHO AQGs. The 2005 version also lowered the recommended limits of many pollutants, including O3 and SO2, making them much more stringent than the national standards currently applied in many parts of the world. Pollutant PM2.5 PM10 Ozone (O3) Nitrogen (NO2) Sulfur dioxide (SO2) Lead (Pb) Carbon monoxide (CO) Averaging Time Annual mean 24-hour mean Annual mean 24-hour mean 8-hour mean 1-hour mean Annual mean 1-hour mean Annual mean 24-hour mean 10-minute mean Annual mean 3-month mean 1-hour mean 8-hour mean WHO Guidelines 10a 25a 20a 50a 100a 40a 200a 20a 500a 0.5b 30,000b 10,000b US EPA NAAQSc 15 35 150 147d 235d 100 78e 365e 1.5 40,000 10,000

PM2.5= particles less than 2.5 micrometers in aerodynamic diameter; PM10= particles of 10 micrometers or less in aerodynamic diameter; WHO=World Health Organization; EPA=Environmental Protection Agency; NAAQS=National Ambient Air Quality Standards
a

WHO, 2006. WHO Air Quality Guidelines for particulate matter, ozone, Nitrogen dioxide and Sulfur dioxide. Global Update 2005. Summary of Risk Assessment. http://whqlibdoc.who.int/hq/2006/WHO_SDE_PHE_OEH_06.02_eng.pdf b WHO, 2000. Guidelines for Air Quality. http://whqlibdoc.who.int/hq/2000/WHO_SDE_OEH_00.02_pp1-104.pdf c National Ambient Air Quality Standards http://www.epa.gov/air/criteria.html d 3 Conversion factor for ppb to g/m : 1.962 e 3 Conversion factor for ppb to g/m : 2.616

10

Status of Air Quality Standards

Existence of NAAQS in Asia

Most Asian countries have NAAQS, but there are still few without standards

Most Asian countries have already adopted NAAQS (Table 1), with some countries regularly reviewing and updating their standards to take into account current conditions of the country and recent scientific information.
Photo www.epd.gov.hk

Thailand, for instance, has updated their standards for four times since they first established their standards in 1981. India also recently revised their standards wherein they established PM2.5 and O3 standards. Recent developments were also observed in Viet Nam. Effective 2010, Viet Nams NAAQS (TCVN) was revised into national technical regulations (QCVN), making compliance mandatory. Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) is also currently undergoing review of their Air Quality Objectives (AQO). Nonetheless, there are a number of Asian countries still without NAAQSAfghanistan, Bhutan, Lao Peoples Democratic Republic (PDR) and Pakistan (Table 1). There is currently no information whether these countries are planning to adopt NAAQS in the near future.

Asian countries slowly establishing PM2.5 standards

Countries have developed standards for a range of pollutants. With recent scientific findings highlighting the significant health impacts of PM2.5, WHO and several developed countries, such as US and EU have established PM2.5 guidelines (for WHO) and standards (for US and European Union [EU]). Asian countries are slowly moving towards developing PM2.5 as well, but there is still a long way to go. Of 19 Asian countries included reviewed; four have PM2.5 standards (Table 1). Further, based on survey results, only Thailand had concrete plans to develop PM2.5 standards in the next couple of years.

11

Status of Air Quality Standards

Table 1 Summary of Ambient Air Quality Standards in Select Asian Countries (g/m3)
PM2.5 Annual 24-Hr Countries Afghanistan Bangladesh Bhutan Cambodia China: Grade I China: Grade II China: Grade III Hong Kong SAR India* India** Indonesia Lao PDR Malaysia Mongolia Nepal Pakistan Philippines Republic of Korea Singapore Sri Lanka Thailand Viet Nam PM10 Annual 24-Hr 24-Hr SO2 Annual 24-Hr NO2 Annual 1-Hr O3 8-Hr CO (000) 1-Hr 8-Hr 10 20 10 2 2 10 10 10 10.3 10 10 10.3 10 Pb Annual 0.5 1 1 1 0.5 0.5 1 0.5 1 0.5 0.5

65 60 60 35 50 -

15 40 40 15 25 -

150 50 150 250 180 100 100 150 150 120 150 100 150 100 120 150

50 40 100 150 55 60 60 50 60 50 50 50 50

365 300 50 150 250 350 80 80 365 105 30 70 180 131 365 80 300 125

80 100 20 60 100 80 50 20 60 50 80 52 80 100 50

100 80 120 120 150 80 80 150 10 40 80 150 113 100 -

100 40 80 80 80 40 30 100 40 56 100 40

235 200 160 200 200 240 180 180 235 200 120 140 196 200 200 -

157 100 100 120 0 60 118 147 140 120

40 40 10 10 20 30 4 4 30 35 35 28.6 40 30 34.2 30

China: Grade I = applies to specially protected areas, such as natural conservation areas, scenic spots, and historical sites; China: Grade II = applies to residential areas, mixed commercial/residential areas, cultural, industrial, and rural areas; China: Grade III = special industrial areas; India* = NAAQS for Industrial, Residential, Rural and Other Areas; India** = NAAQS for Ecologically Sensitive Areas (notified by Central Government); SAR = Special Administrative Region; PDR = Peoples Democratic Republic; Pb = lead; PM10 = Particles with aerodynamic particle diameters of 10 micrometers or less; PM2.5 = Particles with aerodynamic particle diameters of 2.5 micrometers or less Ozone (O3) Conversion factor for ppb to g/m : 1.962 3 Sulfur dioxide (SO2) Conversion factor for ppb to g/m : 2.616 3 Carbon monoxide (CO) Conversion factor for ppb to g/m : 1.145 3 Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) Conversion factor for ppb to g/m : 1.880 Source: CAI-Asia Center, 2010. [Collected from various sources]
3

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Status of Air Quality Standards

Comparison of NAAQS with WHO AQG, US EPA NAAQS and EU AQ Standards (Per Pollutant)
PM2.5

Only a few Asian countries have PM2.5 standards, and of these countries, none have standards equivalent to the WHO AQG. Still, PM2.5 standards generally close to a WHO interim target. Annual PM2.5 standards of Singapore and Bangladesh, for instance, are at WHO IT-3 (15 g/m3).
PM10

All the surveyed Asian countries standards, including US EPAs PM10 standards for 24-hour and annual averaging period are more lenient than WHO guidelines with some even more lenient than WHO IT-1. A large number of the countries meet WHO IT-1 for both 24-hour and annual averaging periods.
SO2

All the surveyed Asian countries, including US EPA and EU, have 24-hr average SO2 standards higher than WHO AQG. About 64% of the countries surveyed were higher than WHO IT-1. Most of the countries have annual SO2 standards despite WHO not having a guideline for this.
NO2

Only four of 18 countries surveyed had annual NO2 standards equivalent to the WHO AQG. Most of the countries have 24-hour NO2 standards even though WHO does not have a guideline for this.
O3

Of the 19 Asian countries surveyed, two have 8-hr average O3 standards same with the WHO AQG. Remaining countries with 8-Hr average O3 standard meet the WHO IT-1. Still, 59% of the countries do not have 8-hr average O3 standards.
CO

Most of the surveyed Asian countries, including US EPA and EU, have CO standards for 1-hour and 8-hour averaging period within WHO guidelines with a few being more stringent than the WHO AQG.
Pb

Around a third of the countries surveyed have Pb standards for annual averaging period similar to the prescribed WHO AQG (0.5g/m3), another third of the countries have more lenient standards and the last third of the countries do not have Pb standards for the annual averaging period.

13

Status of Air Quality Standards

Figure 8 24-Hr PM2.5 Standards in Asian countries vs. WHO AQG and US EPA NAAQS.
Singapore Sri Lanka India** India* Bangladesh Viet Nam Thailand Republic of Korea Philippines Pakistan Nepal Mongolia Malaysia Lao PDR Indonesia Hong Kong SAR China: Grade III China: Grade II China: Grade I Cambodia Bhutan Afghanistan 0 10

WHO AQG 25 g/m3

WHO IT-3 37.5 g/m3

WHO IT-2 50 g/m3

WHO IT-1 70 g/m3

Countries

US EPA 35 g/m3

20

30

40

50

60

70

24-Hr PM2.5 Standard

(g/m3)

Figure 9 Annual PM2.5 Standards in Asian countries vs. WHO AQG, US EPA and EU NAAQS.
Singapore Bangladesh Sri Lanka India** India* Viet Nam Thailand Republic of Korea Philippines Pakistan Nepal Mongolia Malaysia Lao PDR Indonesia Hong Kong SAR China: Grade III China: Grade II China: Grade I Cambodia Bhutan Afghanistan 0

WHO AQG 10 g/m3

WHO IT-3 15 g/m3 US EPA 15 g/m3

WHO IT-2 25 g/m3 EU 25 g/m3

WHO IT-1 35 g/m3

Countries

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

Annual PM2.5 Standard (g/m3)

14

Status of Air Quality Standards

Figure 10

24-Hr PM10 Standards in Asian countries vs. WHO AQG, US EPA and EU NAAQS.

China: Grade I Sri Lanka Republic of Korea India** India* Thailand Nepal Viet Nam Singapore Philippines Malaysia Indonesia China: Grade II Bangladesh Hong Kong SAR China: Grade III Pakistan Mongolia Lao PDR Cambodia Bhutan Afghanistan 0

Countries

WHO AQG 50 g/m3 EU 50 g/m3

WHO IT-3 75 g/m3 WHO IT-2 100 g/m3

WHO IT-1 150 g/m3 US EPA 150 g/m3

50

100

150

200

250

300

24-Hr PM10Standard (g/m3)

Figure 11
China: Grade I Viet Nam Thailand Sri Lanka Republic of Korea Malaysia Bangladesh Hong Kong SAR Philippines India** India* China: Grade II China: Grade III Singapore Pakistan Nepal Mongolia Lao PDR Indonesia Cambodia Bhutan Afghanistan

Annual PM10 Standards in Asian countries vs. WHO AQG and EU NAAQS.

Countries

WHO AQG 20 g/m3 WHO IT-3 30 g/m3 WHO IT-2 50 g/m3 WHO IT-1 70 g/m3

EU 40 g/m3

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

Annual PM10 Standard

(g/m3)

15

Status of Air Quality Standards

Figure 12

24-Hr SO2 Standards in Asian countries vs. WHO AQG, US EPA and EU NAAQS.

Mongolia China: Grade I Nepal Sri Lanka India** India* Malaysia Viet Nam Republic of Korea China: Grade II Philippines China: Grade III Thailand Cambodia Hong Kong SAR Singapore Indonesia Bangladesh Pakistan Lao PDR Bhutan Afghanistan 0

Countries

WHO AQG 20 g/m3 WHO IT-2 50 g/m3 50 100

WHO IT-1 125 g/m3 EU 125 g/m3 150 200 250 300

US EPA 365 g/m3

350

400

24-hr SO2 Standard (g/m3)

Figure 13
India** China: Grade I Viet Nam Nepal India* Republic of Korea Indonesia China: Grade II Singapore Philippines Hong Kong SAR Bangladesh Thailand China: Grade III Cambodia Sri Lanka Pakistan Mongolia Malaysia Lao PDR Bhutan Afghanistan 0

Annual SO2 Standards in Asian countries vs. US EPA NAAQS.

US EPA 78 g/m3

Countries

20

40

60

80

100

120

Annual SO2 Standard (g/m3)

16

Status of Air Quality Standards

Figure 14
Malaysia Mongolia Nepal India** India* China: Grade I Sri Lanka Cambodia Republic of Korea China: Grade III China: Grade II Philippines Indonesia Hong Kong SAR Viet Nam Thailand Singapore Pakistan Lao PDR Bhutan Bangladesh Afghanistan 0 20

24-Hr NO2 Standards in Asian countries.

Countries

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

24-Hr NO2 Standard (g/m3)

Figure 15

Annual NO2 Standards in Asian countries vs. WHO AQG, US EPA and EU NAAQS.

India** Viet Nam Nepal India* China: Grade I Republic of Korea Hong Kong SAR China: Grade III China: Grade II Singapore Indonesia Bangladesh Thailand Sri Lanka Philippines Pakistan Mongolia Malaysia Lao PDR Cambodia Bhutan Afghanistan 0 20 40

Countries

WHO AQG 40 g/m3 EU 40 g/m3

US EPA 100 g/m3

60

80

100

120

Annual NO2 Standard (g/m3)

17

Status of Air Quality Standards

Figure 16
Mongolia Philippines China: Grade I India** India* Republic of Korea Thailand Sri Lanka Malaysia China: Grade III China: Grade II Cambodia Indonesia Bangladesh Hong Kong SAR Viet Nam Singapore Pakistan Nepal Lao PDR Bhutan Afghanistan 0

1-Hr O3 Standards in Asian countries vs. US EPA NAAQS.

US EPA 235 g/m3

Countries

50

100

150

200

250

300

1-Hr O3 Standard (g/m3)

Figure 17

8-Hr O3 Standards in Asian countries vs. WHO AQG, US EPA and EU NAAQS.

Philippines India** India* Republic of Korea Viet Nam Malaysia Thailand Singapore Bangladesh Sri Lanka Pakistan Nepal Mongolia Lao PDR Indonesia Hong Kong SAR China: Grade III China: Grade II China: Grade I Cambodia Bhutan Afghanistan 0 20 40 60 80

Countries

WHO AQG 100 g/m3 EU 120 g/m3 US EPA 147 g/m3 WHO IT-1 160 g/m3

100

120

140

160

180

8-Hr O3 Standard (g/m3)

18

Status of Air Quality Standards

Figure 18
India** India* China: Grade II China: Grade I China: Grade III Republic of Korea Viet Nam Sri Lanka Indonesia Hong Kong SAR Thailand Philippines Malaysia Singapore Cambodia Bangladesh Pakistan Nepal Mongolia Lao PDR Bhutan Afghanistan

1-Hr CO Standards in Asian countries vs. WHO AQG and US EPA NAAQS.

Countries

WHO AQG 30 g/m3

US EPA 40 g/m3

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

1-Hr CO Standard (000) (g/m3)

Figure 19

8-Hr CO Standards in Asian countries vs. WHO AQG, US EPA and EU NAAQS.

India** India* Viet Nam Sri Lanka Singapore Philippines Nepal Hong Kong SAR Bangladesh Thailand Republic of Korea Malaysia Cambodia Pakistan Mongolia Lao PDR Indonesia China: Grade III China: Grade II China: Grade I Bhutan Afghanistan 0 5 10

Countries

WHO AQG 10 g/m3 EU 10 g/m3 US EPA 10 g/m3

15

20

25

8-Hr CO Standard (000) (g/m3)

19

Status of Air Quality Standards

Figure 20
Viet Nam Republic of Korea Nepal India** India* Bangladesh Philippines Indonesia China: Grade III China: Grade II China: Grade I Thailand Sri Lanka Singapore Pakistan Mongolia Malaysia Lao PDR Hong Kong SAR Cambodia Bhutan Afghanistan

Annual Pb Standards in Asian countries vs. WHO AQG and EU NAAQS.

Countries

WHO AQG 0.5 g/m3 EU 0.5 g/m3

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.2

Annual Pb Standard

(g/m3)

Notes for Figure 8 to Figure 20. China: Grade I = applies to specially protected areas, such as natural conservation areas, scenic spots, and historical sites; China: Grade II = applies to residential areas, mixed commercial/residential areas, cultural, industrial, and rural areas; China: Grade III = special industrial areas; India* = NAAQS for Industrial, Residential, Rural and Other Areas; India** = NAAQS for Ecologically Sensitive Areas (notified by Central Government); SAR = Special Administrative Region; PDR = Peoples Democratic Republic; Pb = lead; PM10 = Particles with aerodynamic particle diameters of 10 micrometers or less; PM2.5 = Particles with aerodynamic particle diameters of 2.5 3 micrometers or less; g/m = micrograms per cubic meter; WHO = World Health Organization; IT = interim target; AQG = air quality guidelines; US EPA = United States Environmental Protection Agency; EU = European Union. Ozone (O3) Conversion factor for ppb to g/m : 1.962 3 Sulfur dioxide (SO2) Conversion factor for ppb to g/m : 2.616 3 Carbon monoxide (CO) Conversion factor for ppb to g/m : 1.145 3 Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) Conversion factor for ppb to g/m : 1.880 Source: CAI-Asia Center, 2010. [Collected from various sources]
3

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CAI-Asia Center,2010. 3510 Robinsons Equitable Tower, ADB Avenue, Ortigas Center, Pasig City, 1605 Philippines Tel: (63-2) 395-2843/(63-2) 395-2845 Fax: (63-2) 395-2846 Email: center@cai-asia.org Website: www.cleanairinitiative.org