II.3 Limit values in the Czech Republic valid for the year 2008

Air quality assessment in the Czech Republic is based on the fundamental legislative document, and namely the Clean Air Act No. 86/2002 Coll., as amended. The detailed guidelines are specified in the Government Order No. 597/2006 Coll. on air quality monitoring and evaluation. The Czech legislation reflects the requirements of the European Union set by the ambient air quality directives, i.e. by the Framework Directive 96/62/EC on ambient air quality assessment and management and by the respective Daughter Directives 1999/30/EC (for SO₂, NO₂ and NO_x, suspended particles and lead), 2000/69/EC (for benzene and CO), 2002/3/EC (for ground-level ozone) and 2004/107/EC (for arsenic, cadmium, mercury, nickel and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons).

In May 2008 the Directive 2008/50/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe was adopted. This Directive integrates the Directive 96/62/EC with the first three daughter directives and with the Council Decision 97/101/EC establishing a reciprocal exchange of information and data from networks and individual stations measuring ambient air pollution within the Member States. The above Directive until now has not been transposed into the Czech legislation (it is expected in 2010), it is not applied in the assessment for the year 2008, with the exception of the target limit value for PM_2.5 annual average.

For the pollutants which are to be monitored and assessed as substances manifesting evident harmful effects on the health of the population, the national legislation have set the limit values, margins of tolerance, target values and long-term objectives. Moreover, the legislation sets the limit values for the protection of ecosystems and vegetation.

1. Limit values and margins of tolerance for the protection of human health are set for the following pollutants:
          sulphur dioxide,
          PM₁₀ fraction particles,
          nitrogen dioxide,
          lead,
          carbon monoxide,
          benzene.
2. Target values for the protection of human health are set for the following pollutants:
          cadmium,
          arsenic,
          nickel,
          benzo(a)pyrene (indicator of air pollution caused by PAH),
          ground-level ozone.
3. Limit values for the protection of ecosystems and vegetation are set for the following pollutants:
          sulphur dioxide,
          nitrogen oxides,
          ground-level ozone (AOT40).

Tab. - Limit values (LV) for the protection of health

Tab. - Target air values (TV) values and long-term objectives for the protection of health

Tab. - Limit values (LV) for the protection of ecosystems and vegetation
Target value and long-term objective for the protection of ecosystems