Environment Protection Authority Victoria (EPA) has played the lead role in coordinating the review of the national air quality standards which have been agreed by the National Environment Protection Council (NEPC).
The National Environment Protection Act 1994 established the National Environment Protection (Ambient Air Quality) Measure (AAQ NEPM) in 1998 to provide an approach to measuring six common pollutants the same way across Australia.
The pollutants are:
• carbon monoxide
• lead
• nitrogen dioxide
• photochemical oxidants (ozone)
• sulfur dioxide
• particles (PM10 and PM2.5).
The AAQ NEPM sets air quality standards and goals for each of these pollutants. EPA led the review of standards set for ozone, nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide. The review takes into account evidence of the health effects of these pollutants and will be considered for adoption as reference standards in Victoria after the new Environment Protection Act commences on 1 July 2021.
