making is the result of many disparate influences.
Amid social, political, and economic debates
involving varying interests, the goal of sustainability is often minimized or even lost.
Violations of Concentration Standards Unfortunately, standards are targets, not guarantees of
maximum concentrations. As of 2004, 20.2% of
Chinese cities exceeded Grade III standards,
though this rate was an improvement over the
53.8% of cities exceeding Grade III standards in
1991 and was part of an overall trend of decreasing
concentrations [54]. In the case of the USA, it must
be noted that the trend in average concentrations of
most criteria air pollutants is downward [98]. However, in the USA, in 2007, 21% of sites monitoring
PM 2 . 5 exceeded the 24 h standard of 35 mg/m
3
,
23% of sites monitoring lead showed concentrations in excess of the 0.15 mg/m
3 standard, and
57% of sites monitoring O3 exceeded the
0.075 ppm standard [99]. The UK’s ozone standard
is exceeded several times each year [89]. In recording exceedences of standards, air pollution monitoring demonstrates the need for continued
Air Pollution Monitoring and Sustainability, Table 6 Air quality standards by world region
Pollutant
Averaging
period
Standards
Europe [94]
USA primary standards
[95]
China [54]
Grade 1
Grade 2
Grade 3
Conc.
Conc.
Conc.
Conc.
Conc.
CO
1 h
35 ppm
10 mg/m
3
10 mg/m
3
20 mg/m
3
CO
8 h
10,000 mg/
m
3
9 ppm
CO
24 h
4 mg/m
3
4 mg/m
3
6 mg/m
3
NO 2
1 h
200 mg/m
3
120 mg/
m
3
240 mg/
m
3
240 mg/
m
3
NO 2
24 h
80 mg/m
3
120 mg/
m
3
120 mg/
m
3
NO 2
1 year
40 mg/m
3
0.053 ppm
40 mg/m
3
80 mg/m
3
80 mg/m
3
SO 2
1 h
350 mg/m
3
0.075 ppm
150 mg/
m
3
500 mg/
m
3
700 mg/
m
3
SO 2
24 h
125 mg/m
3
0.14 ppm
50 mg/m
3
150 mg/
m
3
250 mg/
m
3
SO 2
1 year
0.03 ppm
20 mg/m
3
60 mg/m
3
100 mg/
m
3
Lead (Pb)
3 months
0.15 mg/m
3
Lead (Pb)
1 year
0.5 mg/m
3
O 3
1 h
160 mg/
m
3
200 mg/
m
3
200 mg/
m
3
O 3
8 h
120 mg/m
3
0.075 ppm
Benzene
1 year
5 mg/m
3
PAHs
1 year
1 ng/m
3
PM 10
24 h
150 mg/m
3
50 mg/m
3
150 mg/
m
3
250 mg/
m
3
PM 10
1 year
40 mg/m
3
100 mg/
m
3
150 mg/
m
3
PM 2.5
24 h
35 mg/m
3
PM 2.5
1 year
25 mg/m
3
15 mg/m
3
Arsenic (As)
1 year
6 ng/m
3
Cadmium
(Cd)
1 year
5 ng/m
3
Nickel (Ni)
1 year
20 ng/m
3
404
Air Pollution Monitoring and Sustainability
Amid social, political, and economic debates
involving varying interests, the goal of sustainability is often minimized or even lost.
Violations of Concentration Standards Unfortunately, standards are targets, not guarantees of
maximum concentrations. As of 2004, 20.2% of
Chinese cities exceeded Grade III standards,
though this rate was an improvement over the
53.8% of cities exceeding Grade III standards in
1991 and was part of an overall trend of decreasing
concentrations [54]. In the case of the USA, it must
be noted that the trend in average concentrations of
most criteria air pollutants is downward [98]. However, in the USA, in 2007, 21% of sites monitoring
PM 2 . 5 exceeded the 24 h standard of 35 mg/m
3
,
23% of sites monitoring lead showed concentrations in excess of the 0.15 mg/m
3 standard, and
57% of sites monitoring O3 exceeded the
0.075 ppm standard [99]. The UK’s ozone standard
is exceeded several times each year [89]. In recording exceedences of standards, air pollution monitoring demonstrates the need for continued
Air Pollution Monitoring and Sustainability, Table 6 Air quality standards by world region
Pollutant
Averaging
period
Standards
Europe [94]
USA primary standards
[95]
China [54]
Grade 1
Grade 2
Grade 3
Conc.
Conc.
Conc.
Conc.
Conc.
CO
1 h
35 ppm
10 mg/m
3
10 mg/m
3
20 mg/m
3
CO
8 h
10,000 mg/
m
3
9 ppm
CO
24 h
4 mg/m
3
4 mg/m
3
6 mg/m
3
NO 2
1 h
200 mg/m
3
120 mg/
m
3
240 mg/
m
3
240 mg/
m
3
NO 2
24 h
80 mg/m
3
120 mg/
m
3
120 mg/
m
3
NO 2
1 year
40 mg/m
3
0.053 ppm
40 mg/m
3
80 mg/m
3
80 mg/m
3
SO 2
1 h
350 mg/m
3
0.075 ppm
150 mg/
m
3
500 mg/
m
3
700 mg/
m
3
SO 2
24 h
125 mg/m
3
0.14 ppm
50 mg/m
3
150 mg/
m
3
250 mg/
m
3
SO 2
1 year
0.03 ppm
20 mg/m
3
60 mg/m
3
100 mg/
m
3
Lead (Pb)
3 months
0.15 mg/m
3
Lead (Pb)
1 year
0.5 mg/m
3
O 3
1 h
160 mg/
m
3
200 mg/
m
3
200 mg/
m
3
O 3
8 h
120 mg/m
3
0.075 ppm
Benzene
1 year
5 mg/m
3
PAHs
1 year
1 ng/m
3
PM 10
24 h
150 mg/m
3
50 mg/m
3
150 mg/
m
3
250 mg/
m
3
PM 10
1 year
40 mg/m
3
100 mg/
m
3
150 mg/
m
3
PM 2.5
24 h
35 mg/m
3
PM 2.5
1 year
25 mg/m
3
15 mg/m
3
Arsenic (As)
1 year
6 ng/m
3
Cadmium
(Cd)
1 year
5 ng/m
3
Nickel (Ni)
1 year
20 ng/m
3
404
Air Pollution Monitoring and Sustainability