Please suggested. In reports and literature different countries have different AQI values. For example WHO have standard value of PM2.5 as 25 microgram/m3 while for India it is 60 microgram/m3. Similar differences are for other countries also. Why this difference is so. Please suggest.
Thanks and Regards
Hi Elson Galvão
,Thank you for starting this interesting conversation. I hope you may find some help in my reply. Even in the European Union, sometimes, a pollutant emission limit value do not meet the WHO guidelines and is defined in different manners. You may find the latest (2019) EEA – European Environment Agency report on the European Air Quality, addressing and comparing with WHO guidelines at DOI:10.2800/822355.
WHO guidelines are periodically re-evaluated based on scientific evidence on the health effects, but countries’ air quality standards are defined by governments. Air pollution is a very complex subject as know. It is intrinsically linked to the use and transformation of fossil fuels and other major activities such as agriculture, for example. Fossil fuels use is the 1st factor conditioning pollutants emission levels in each country. Thus, in each country or better, let us say, locally (because air travels and knows no frontiers), air pollution is dependent on how much fossil fuels are used and their quality (as for the presence of lead in petrol, for exemple). As other colleagues have answered here, energy use is a critical strategic point in each country policies and politics. We still have to evolve further to give more importance to health and to the air we breath than governments and economic stakeholders give to finance…
I think it relies on the countries industrialization level and policy. Let say, Africa is low in industrialization, space science, and air traffic as well. This may contribute to varying their AQI compared to Europe or N. America.
Depending the regime the pollution levels are, you don't want everyday is heavily polluted.
Dharmendra Singh , I have been wondering the same thing. When a limit value is established, experts evaluate available current knowledge for the compound being considered. For many compounds however our knowledge of the adverse effects is limited or varying. When a limit value is determined, health effects, economic and technological consequences are considered, and the final value may be a compromise between these three.
Is there any reference revealing these three aspect@ Therese Bergh Nitter
Dharmendra Singh , I reccomed the book "Occupational Hazards in the Health Professions", which is available online here ;https://books.google.no/books?id=c6VMb39VzYoC&pg=PA2&lpg=PA2&dq=what+are+exposure+limit+values+difference+between+deifferent+contries&source=bl&ots=yORvBSaA2i&sig=ACfU3U2BPUkBlV9hSShLyZrPMR6WSN_gWQ&hl=no&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwijttftyczpAhUDw8QBHQCDBnMQ6AEwAHoECAYQAQ#v=onepage&q=what%20are%20exposure%20limit%20values%20difference%20between%20deifferent%20contries&f=false
Best regards
Many countries use their our quality control standards based on their socioeconomic conditions. Whatever a local values, researchers usually compare their results with WHO/international standards.
That is may be due to the different in the pollution percent in each region as well as the police of the countries.
The WHO guideline shows the concentration in which the minimum adverse effect is found. However, there is some area with high level of air pollution, which means that in the current situation, it is practically impossible to meet the WHO standards.
This obligates the environmental agency and policymakers to assume a higher standard concentration or all areas would be violating the standards. Thus, since the air quality standards are higher, AQI needs to follow it.
Thank you to all for wise disscussion and suggessions. I request every one to share the procedure for deciding air quality standared of any country if there is any...
Hi Elson Galvão
,Thank you for starting this interesting conversation. I hope you may find some help in my reply. Even in the European Union, sometimes, a pollutant emission limit value do not meet the WHO guidelines and is defined in different manners. You may find the latest (2019) EEA – European Environment Agency report on the European Air Quality, addressing and comparing with WHO guidelines at DOI:10.2800/822355.
WHO guidelines are periodically re-evaluated based on scientific evidence on the health effects, but countries’ air quality standards are defined by governments. Air pollution is a very complex subject as know. It is intrinsically linked to the use and transformation of fossil fuels and other major activities such as agriculture, for example. Fossil fuels use is the 1st factor conditioning pollutants emission levels in each country. Thus, in each country or better, let us say, locally (because air travels and knows no frontiers), air pollution is dependent on how much fossil fuels are used and their quality (as for the presence of lead in petrol, for exemple). As other colleagues have answered here, energy use is a critical strategic point in each country policies and politics. We still have to evolve further to give more importance to health and to the air we breath than governments and economic stakeholders give to finance…
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