Air

Air quality is a measure of the suitability of air for breathing by people, plants and animals. On average, a person inhales about 14,000 litres of air every day. Therefore, poor air quality may affect the quality of life now and for future generations by affecting the health, the environment, the economy and the city's liveability.

Good air quality is fundemental to our wellbeing. A healthy environment is therefore, an essential aspect of the right to life, not only for human beings but also for other animals on the planet. Violation, therefore, of the right to healthy environment is potentially a violation of the basic right of life.

Rapid urbanization and industrialization has added other elements/compounds to the pure air and thus caused the increase in pollution. In order to prevent, control and abate air pollution, the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act was enacted in 1981. According to Section 2(b) of Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 'air pollution' has been defined as 'the presence in the atmosphere of any air pollutant'. As per Section 2(a) of Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 'air pollutant' has been defined as 'any solid, liquid or gaseous substance [(including noise)] present in the atmosphere in such concentration as may be or tend to be injurious to human beings or other living creatures or plants or property or environment'. Therefore, ambient air quality standard is developed as a policy guideline that regulates the effect of human activity upon the environment so that pollutant emission into the air can be regulated. Standards may specify a desired state or limit alterations.

In order to combat air pollution, it is required to identify the pollutants, its source of emission and investigate the effects of living and the environment. Under National Ambient Air Quality Standards the concentration values for SO2, NO2, PM10 & PM2.5 is also analysed and presented separately for zones, coastal towns, industrial cities, million plus cities, non-attainment cities, ecologically sensitive areas etc.

Revised National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)

[NAAQS Notification dated 18th November, 2009]

 

 

 

 S.No

 

 

 Pollutants

 

 

 Time Weighted   Average

Concentration in Ambient Air

 

 

 Methods of Measurement

 Industrial, Residential,   Rural and other Areas

 Ecologically Sensitive   Area (notified by   Central

 Government)

 1

 Sulphur Dioxide (SO2), µg/m3

 Annual*

 50

 20

 1. Improved West and Gaeke

 2. Ultraviolet Fluorescence

 24 Hours**

 80

 80

 2

 Nitrogen Dioxide

 (NO2 ), µg/m3

 Annual*

 40

 30

 1. Modified Jacob & Hochheiser

 2. Chemiluminescence

 24 Hours**

 80

 80

 3

 Particulate Matter

 (Size <10µm) or PM10 µg/m3

 Annual*

 60

 60

 1. Gravimetric

 2. TEOM

 3. Beta attenuation

 24 Hours**

 100

 100

 4

 Particulate Matter

 (Size <2.5 µm) or PM2.5 µg/m3

 Annual*

 40

 40

 1. Gravimetric

 2. TEOM

 3. Beta attenuation

 24 Hours **

 60

 60

 5

 Ozone (O3), µg/m3

 8 hours**

 100

 100

 1. UV photometric

 2. Chemiluminescence

 3. Chemical Method

 1 hours **

 180

 180

 6

 Lead (Pb), µg/m3

 Annual *

 0.50

 0.50

 1. AAS/ICP Method after sampling     

     using EPM 2000 or equivalent

     filter paper

 2. ED-XRF using Teflon filter

 24 Hour**

 1.0

 1.0

 7

 Carbon Monoxide (CO), mg/m3

 8 Hours **

 02

 02

 1. Non dispersive Infra Red

     (NDIR) Spectroscopy

 1 Hour**

 04

 04

 8

 Ammonia (NH3), µg/m3

 Annual*

 100

 100

 1. Chemiluminescence

 2. Indophernol blue method

 24 Hour**

 400

 400

 9

 Benzene (C6H6) , µg/m3

 Annual *

 05

 05

 1. Gas chromatography based 

     continuous analyzer

 2. Adsorption and Desorption followed by

     GC analysis

 10

 Benzo(a)Pyrene (BaP)- particulate phase only, ng/m3

 Annual*

 01

 01

 1. Solvent extraction followed

     by HPLC/GC analysis

 11

 Arsenic (As), ng/m3

 Annual*

 06

 06

 1. AAS/ICP method after sampling

     on EPM 2000 or equivalent filter

     paper

 12

 Nickel (Ni), ng/m3

 Annual*

 20

 20

 1. AAS/ICP method after sampling

     on EPM 2000 or equivalent filter

     paper

 

* Annual Arithmetic mean of minimum 104 measurements in a year at a particular site taken twice a week 24 hourly at uniform interval.** 24 hourly 08 hourly or 01 hourly monitored values, as applicable shall be complied with 98% of the time in a year. 2% of the time, they may exceed the limits but not on two consecutive days of monitoring.

NOTE: Whenever and wherever monitoring results on two consecutive days of monitoring exceed the limits specified above for the respective category, it shall be considered adequate reason to institute regular or continuous monitoring and further investigation.