National ambient air quality standards

Air quality standards

Emission Norms
• The Journey Began in 1984 - when the State of Maharashtra introduced
norms for idling CO and smoke.
• 1989- the above norms were extended for the entire country
• 1991 -Exhaust mass emission norms for gasoline for only CO & HC for
vehicles below 3.5 ton GVW were introduced
-Full load and free acceleration smoke regulations for diesel vehicles also
introduced.
• 1992- Exhaust mass emission norms for diesel vehicles / engines above
3.5 ton GVW introduced
• 1995 Mandatory fitment of catalytic converter for gasoline
Passenger cars in Metropolitan cities.
• 1996 -stringent norms for gasoline (CO, HC + NOx) and diesel vehicles
introduced.
-Cold start emission test for diesel vehicles below 3.5 ton GVW.
• 1998 -Cold start emission test for gasoline passenger cars introduced
• 1999- India 2000 (Equivalent to Euro-I) norms introduced for passenger
cars in National Capital Region (Delhi)
• 2000 - Bharat Stage I norms for all category of vehicles introduced
• - Bharat Stage II (Equivalent to Euro-II) norms for gasoline and
diesel passenger cars introduced in National Capital Region (Delhi)
• -Particulate limit values introduced for diesel vehicles
Pollution Under Control (PUC)
• Under Rule 115 (7) of Central Motor Vehicle Rules (CMVR), 1989,
motor vehicles are required to carry PUC Certificate to be given by
an agency authorized for this purpose by State Govt.
• Measurement of emissions from petrol vehicle is done by gas
analyzer and in case of diesel vehicle emission are measured by
smoke meters.
 Environmental Index
 Is the numerical or descriptive categorization of a large quantity of environmental
data or information , with primary purpose being to simplify such data and
information so as to make it useful to decision makers and various publics

 Environmental indicators are simple measures that tell us what is happening in

the environment.

 Since the environment is very complex, indicators provide a more practical and
economical way to track the state of the environment than if we attempted to
record every possible variable in the environment.
Objectives of Environmental Indices
• To summarize existing environmental data

• To communicate information of the affected (baseline) environment

• To valuate vulnerability or susceptibility of an environmental category to

pollution

• To serve as a basis for the expression of impact by forecasting the

difference between the pertinent index with project and same index
without project
 Air Quality Index

• Due to the wide range of index common Pollutant Standard Index(PSI) was
developed in US
• The ten criteria which PSI possess are
1. Easily understood by public
2. Include major pollutant and capable of including future pollutant
3. Relate to ambient air quality standards
4. Relate to air pollution episode criteria
5. Can be calculated in simple manner using reasonable assumptions
6. Be based on reasonable scientific premise
7. Be consistent with perceived air-pollution levels
8. Be spatially meaningful
9. Exhibit day to day variation
10. Enabling forecasting a day in advance
• Five pollutants –TSS, Sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide, oxidants and
nitrogen dioxides
• Combination effects are not addressed

• PSI is established by defining a index value of 100 as the equivalent of

short term , national primary ambient air quality standards

• PSI is based on health effects

• It is the simple ratio sub-index value for each of five pollutants
considered, and then to report the PSI as the maximum sub-index for
the five pollutants
• x 100

• Reported daily PSI is the maximum sub-index of five pollutants

considered
• On the days when 2 0r more pollutants have sub-index greater than
100, along with maximum sub index ,value for all pollutants is
reported
Sub index= concertation /primary standards*100(Calculate for each)

SO2=142 (PSI)