Ambient air
Ambient air is outdoor air in the bottom layer of the atmosphere, excluding working environment. A number of laws have been issued for the protection of air, the most important of which is the Atmospheric Air Protection Act (AÕKS). Its main objective is to maintain or improve the quality of ambient air and to regulate the activities affecting the quality.
The task of the Environmental Board is to ensure compliance with the Act with the following, mainly preventive measures:
- Issuing an air pollution permit
- Registration of the activities that affect the quality of ambient air
- Assessment of the plan for reducing presence of odoriferous substances
- Assessment of the action plan for reducing pollutants.
The impact of the quality of ambient air on human health
Ambient air is of good quality if the content of pollutants is as low as possible. However, if there are many different pollutants in the air, then the air is polluted.
Air can be polluted both in cities and in rural areas, and pollution can have both anthropogenic and natural causes. Pollutants in the air affect directly or indirectly our health.
A number of air quality limit and target values have been established to protect human health and the natural environment.
Air quality limit value
- The emission limit value of pollutant in a unit of volume of the ambient air which was established on the basis of scientific knowledge.
- The objective is to prevent or reduce the adverse impact of the pollutant on human health or the environment.
- Must not be exceeded.
- If the limit value is exceeded, compliance with the limit value must be achieved within a specified period of time.
- Significant environmental nuisance is presumed in case the air quality limit value is exceeded.
Air quality target value
- The emission limit value of pollutant in a unit of volume of the ambient air which was established on the basis of scientific knowledge.
- The aim is to improve air quality.
- To avoid or reduce adverse impact on human health and the environment.
- Must be achieved within a specified period of time or as soon as possible by taking measures not entailing disproportionate costs.
- If exceeded, it is presumed that this is not significant environmental nuisance.
Pollutants in ambient air
The main pollutants affecting the quality of ambient air:
- Very fine particulate matter (PM2,5)
- Fine particulate matter (PM10)
- Tropospheric ozone (O3)
- nitrogen dioxide (NO2)
- sulphur dioxide (SO2).
Pollutants and their impact on human health
Very fine particulate matter and fine particulate matter pose a direct risk to human health, especially in the form of lung diseases. Based on the air quality monitoring results, the quality of ambient air in Estonia continues to be good in terms of the aforementioned pollutants. Fine particular matter could be considered the main problem of urban air, the negative impact of which on human health has been worldwide under increasing attention in recent years. Sources of fine particular matter are heating, including stove heating and central heating boiler houses, road transport and various industrial enterprises.
In case of high content, ozone causes serious health problems (eye irritation, respiratory problems), reduces crop yield, damages the leaves and materials of plants. Tropospheric ozone is also an important greenhouse gas. High levels of ozone in the air, along with other pollutants, shorten the lifetime of 20,000 people in the EU countries every year. In Western Europe, 7% of children aged 4-10 suffer from asthma, one of the causes of which is considered to be ozone near ground.
The main sources of nitrogen and sulphur compounds are industry and the use of toxic chemicals and fertilizers. The above-mentioned pollutants are also the cause of acid rain and their excessive presence in ambient air poses particularly a risk to conifers and aquatic life. Acid rain is a serious problem in Central Europe.
- Guideline of the Ministry of the Environment on how to heat the stove correctly
- Article of the European Environment Agency (EEA) article "The air we breathe"
- Website of the World Health Organization (WHO)
- Website of the Estonian Environmental Research Centre
Last updated: 01.12.2022
