New rules have been established in Ukraine for informing the public about air quality. These include a list of pollutants and their levels for assessing the air quality index.
The relevant order (No. 590 dated March 24, 2025) has been registered with the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, as reported by the Ministry of Ecology.
"This is an important step towards ensuring transparency of air quality information for citizens in a user-friendly format," the agency stated.
This document establishes:
- a list of key pollutants for quality assessment;
- concentration ranges of these substances for analysis;
- color-coded and textual indicators of the index;
- recommendations for public health.
The air quality index for pollutants can be categorized as:
- "Very Poor";
- "Poor";
- "Unsatisfactory";
- "Satisfactory";
- "Acceptable";
- "Good".
"The concentration ranges for the quality index are based on regulatory values for the levels of each pollutant, taking into account WHO recommendations on air quality and the European quality index.
The procedure has been developed in accordance with the standards of the European air quality index published on the official website of the European Environmental Agency," the Ministry of Ecology explained.
Recall that in February, Kyiv consistently recorded a decline in air quality. Residents were advised to stay indoors and close their windows.
It later became known that the accumulation of pollutants in the air was facilitated by weather conditions, particularly the lack of precipitation and low wind speed.