WHO Air Quality Guidelines and other information resources
Have there been any new guidelines or other relevant resources on the health impact of air pollution since the WHO's Air Quality Guidelines, Global Update 2005?
The Air Quality Guidelines, Global Update 2005 is still the most authoritative WHO document on air quality and health which provides a comprehensive review of the scientific evidence. The Guidelines set target outdoor concentrations for particulate matter (PM), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2) and ozone (O3) that would protect the large majority of individuals from the ill effects of air pollution on health. The Guidelines can be obtained by following the link:
More recently, specific guidelines on indoor air pollution have been published by WHO. They address health problems related to dampness and mould as well as to the selected pollutants common indoors.
Other resources include the WHO's publicly available urban outdoor air pollution database which provides access to information on average urban outdoor air pollution measurements (i.e. PM10) for almost 1,100 cities world-wide. The database can inform about trends in urban outdoor air pollution and be the basis for estimating the related health burden. It can also enable cities to make connections with existing sources of AP and response measures that they are taking or planning to implement.