AIR POLLUTION

G R O U P 3
E N V I R O N M E N T A L S C I E N C E A N D E N G I N E E R I N G
 In this lesson you will learn about
the various types of air pollution;
its impacts, treatment, prevention
and protection.
SAVE ENVIRONTMENT

LEARNING
OUTCOMES
Identify the various effects of environmental
pollution and describe the engineer's role in the
manipulation of materials and resources.

Identify the sources of pollution and discuss

how to control them
AIR POLLUTION

Air Pollution means any alteration of the physical, chemical and

biological properties of the atmospheric air, or any discharge
thereto of any liquid, gaseous or solid substances that will or is
likely to create or to render the air resources of the country
harmful, detrimental, or injurious to public health, safety or
welfare or which will adversely affect their utilization for
domestic, commercial, industrial, agricultural, recreational, or
other legitimate purposes (RA 8749, 1999). Smoke, haze, dust,
odors, corrosive gases, noise, and toxic compounds are among
our most widespread pollutants.
AIR POLLUTANT

Any matter found in the atmosphere other than oxygen,

nitrogen, water vapor, carbon dioxide, and the inert gases
in their natural or normal concentrations, that is
detrimental to health or the environment, which includes
but not limited to smoke, dust, soot, cinders, fly ash, solid
particles of any kind, gases, fumes, chemical mists, steam
and radio-active substances.
AMBIENT AIR QUALITY
The general amount of pollution present in a broad area;
and refers to the atmosphere's average purity as
distinguished from discharge measurements taken at
the source of pollution

AMBIENT AIR
The air around us
 DIFFERENT TYPES OF POLLUTANTS

Primary Pollutants Secondary Pollutants Fugitive Emission

released directly from the source converted to a hazardous form those that do not go through a smoke stack. - By far the
into the air in a harmful form after they enter the air or are most massive example of this category is dust from soil
formed by chemical reactions as erosion, strip mining, rock crushing, and building
components of the air mix and construction (and destruction). - Fugitive industrial
interact emissions are hard to monitor, but they are extremely
important sources of air pollution.
 1. Sulfur dioxide

SIX CONVENTIONAL OR 2. Nitrogen oxides

3. Carbon monoxide
4. Ozone

CRITERIA POLLUTANTS 5. Lead

6. Particulate Matter
These six conventional or criteria pollutants were addressed first
because they contributed the largest volume of air quality
degradation and also are considered the most serious threats to
human health and welfare
 SULFUR DIOXIDE
Natural sources of sulfur in the atmosphere include evaporation of sea
spray, erosion of sulfate-containing dust from arid soils, fumes from
volcanoes and hot springs, and biogenic emissions of hydrogen sulfide
(H2S) and organic sulfurcontaining compounds. - Total yearly emissions
of sulfur from all sources amount to some 114 million metric tons. -
Worldwide, anthropogenic sources represent about 2/3 of the all
airborne sulfur, but in most urban areas they contribute as much as 90%
of the sulfur in the air. - The predominant form of anthropogenic sulfur
is sulfur dioxide (SO2) from combustion of sulfur-containing fuel (coal
and oil), purification of sour (sulfurcontaining) natural gas or oil, and
industrial processes, such as smelting of sulfide ores. - China and the
United States are the largest sources of anthropogenic sulfur, primarily
from coal burning and smelting. - Colorless corrosive gas, directly
damaging to both plants and animals. - Once in the atmosphere, it can
be further oxidized to sulfur trioxide (SO3), which reacts with water
vapor or dissolves in water droplets to form sulfuric acid (H2SO4), a
major component of acid rain. - Some of the smelliest and most
obnoxious air pollutants are sulfur compounds, such as hydrogen
sulfide from pig manure lagoons or mercaptans (organosulfur thiols)
from paper mills.
 NITROGEN OXIDES
Highly reactive gases formed when nitrogen in fuel or in air is heated
(during combustion) to temperatures above 650°C in the presence of
oxygen.
- Bacteria can also form NO as they oxidize nitrogen-containing
compounds in soil or water.
- The initial product, nitric oxide (NO), oxidizes further in the atmosphere
to nitrogen dioxide (NO2), a reddish-brown gas that gives photochemical
smog its distinctive color.
- In addition, nitrous oxide (N2O) is an intermediate form that results
from soil denitrification. Nitrous oxide absorbs ultraviolet light and is an
important greenhouse gas.
- Because nitrogen readily changes from one of these forms to another
by gaining or losing O atoms, the general term NOx is used to describe
these gases.
- Nitrogen oxides combine with water to make nitric acid (HNO3), a
major component of acid rain.
- Anthropogenic sources account for 60% of the global emissions of
about 230 million metric tons of reactive nitrogen compounds each year.
- Because we continue to drive more miles every year, and to consume
abundant electricity, we have had less success in controlling NOx than
other pollutants.
 CARBON MONOXIDE
Colorless, odorless, nonirritating, but highly toxic gas.
- Produced mainly by incomplete combustion of fuel (coal, oil, charcoal,
or gas), as in furnaces, incinerators, engines, or fires, as well as in
decomposition of organic matter.
- CO blocks oxygen uptake in blood by binding irreversibly to
hemoglobin (the protein that carries oxygen in our blood), making
hemoglobin unable to hold oxygen and deliver it to cells.
- Human activities produce about half of the 1 billion metric tons of CO
released to the atmosphere each year.
- About 90% of the CO in the air is converted to CO2 in photochemical
reactions that produce ozone.
- Catalytic converters on vehicles are one of the important methods to
reduce CO production by ensuring complete oxidation of carbon to
carbon dioxide (CO2).
- Carbon dioxide is the predominant form of carbon in the air.
OZONE (O3) AND PHOTOCHEMICAL
OXIDANTS
Ground level O3 is a product of photochemical reactions (reactions initiated
by sunlight) between other pollutants, such as NOx or volatile organic
compounds. A general term for products of these reactions is
photochemical oxidants. - One of the most important of these reactions
involves splitting nitrogen dioxide (NO2) into nitrous oxide (NO) and Oxygen
(O). This single O atom is then available to combine with a molecule of O2 to
make ozone (O3). - Hydrocarbons in the air contribute to the accumulation
of ozone by combining with NO to form new compounds, leaving single O
atoms free to form O3. - A general term for organic chemicals that
evaporate easily or exist as gases in the air is Volatile Organic Compounds
(VOCs). - Plants are the largest source of VOCs, releasing an estimated 350
million tons of isoprene (C5H8) and 450 million tons of terpenes (C10H15)
each year. Isoprene is emitted by trees like oaks and eucalyptus and is used
as raw material for polymeric products (Britannica, 2020) while terpene is
released by trees in warm weather (Adam, 2008). - About 400 million tons of
methane (CH4) are produced by natural wetlands and rice paddies and by
bacteria in the guts of termites and ruminant animals. These volatile
hydrocarbons are generally oxidized to CO and CO2 in the atmosphere. - In
addition to natural VOCs, a large number of other synthetic organic
chemicals, such as benzene, toluene, formaldehyde, vinyl chloride, phenols,
chloroform, and trichloroethylene, are released into the air by human
activities. These chemicals play an important role in the formation of
photochemical oxidants.
 LEAD
Lead is toxic to our nervous systems and other critical functions. Lead
binds to enzymes and to components of our cell, such as brain cells,
which then cannot function normally.
- Airborne lead is produced by a wide range of industrial and mining
processes.
- The main sources are smelting of metal ores, mining, and burning of
coal and municipal waste, in which lead is a trace element and burning
of gasoline to which lead has been added.
- Leaded gasoline was the main source of lead in the United States, but
leaded gas was phased out in the 1980s. Banning leaded gasoline in the
US was one of the most successful pollution-control measures in
American history.
- Worldwide atmospheric lead emissions amount to about 2 million
metric tons per year, or 2/3 of all metallic air pollution. Globally, most of
this lead is still from leaded gasoline, as well as metal ore smelting and
coal burning.
PARTICULATE MATTER
Includes solid particles or liquid droplets suspended in a gaseous medium.
- Very fine solid or liquid particulates suspended in the atmosphere are aerosols.
These include dust, ash, soot, lint, smoke, pollen, spores, algal cells, and many
other suspended materials.
- Particulates are often the most obvious form of air pollution, because they
reduce visibility and leave dirty deposits on windows, painted surfaces and
textiles.
- Particles smaller than 2.5 micrometers in diameter, such as those found in
smoke and haze, and produced by fires, power plants, or vehicle exhaust, are
among the most dangerous particulates because they can be drawn into the
lungs , where they damage respiratory tissues. Asbestos fibers and cigarette
smoke are among these dangerous fine particles. This fine particulate matter is
referred to as PM2.5, in reference to its size. Reducing sulfur in coal and diesel
fuel, which produces aerosol droplets of sulfuric acid, is one important strategy
for controlling PM2.5 particulates.
- Coarse inhalable particles are larger than 2.5 micrometers but less than 10
micrometers in diameter. These are known as PM10, and they are typically
found near roads or other visible dust sources. The “dust bowl” of the 1930s
involved mainly this kind of particulates. At that time, farmland soils were often
left bare, especially during severe drought, and billions of tons of topsoil blew
away from farmlands. Soil conservation on farmlands is one strategy for
reducing PM10; another strategy is better management of dust at construction
sites.
- Epidemiological studies have shown that cities with chronically high levels of
particulates have higher death rates, mostly from heart and lung disease.
- The dust also carries pollen, bacteria, viruses, fungi, herbicides, acids,
radioactive isotopes, and heavy metals between continents.
- Airborne dust is considered the primary source of allergies worldwide. Saharan
dust storms are suspected of raising asthma rates in Trinidad and Barbados,
where cases have increased 17-fold in 30 years.
- Aspergillus sydowii, a soil fungus from Africa, has been shown to be causing
death of corals and sea fans in remote reefs in the Caribbean.
 1. Mercury
OTHER POLLUTANTS 2. Carbon Dioxide
3. Halogens
4. Hazardous air pollutants (HAPs)
MERCURY
Many toxic metals are released into the air by burning coal and oil, mining, smelting of
metal ores, or manufacturing. Lead, mercury, cadmium, nickel, arsenic (highly toxic
metalloid), and others are released in the form of metal fumes or suspended particulates
by fuel combustion, ore smelting, and disposal of wastes. Among these, lead and mercury
are the most abundantly produced toxic metals.
- Mercury has become regulated relatively recently (in Philippines, DAO 1997-38)
- Like Lead, toxic in minute doses, causing nerve damage and other impairments,
especially in young children and developing fetuses.
- Volcanoes and rock weathering can produce mercury, but 70% of airborne mercury
derives from coal-burning power plants, metal processing (smelting), waste incineration,
and other industrial combustion. - About 75% of human exposure to mercury comes from
eating fish. This is because aquatic bacteria are mainly responsible for converting airborne
mercury into methyl mercury, a form that accumulates in living animal tissues.
- Swordfish, shrimp, and other seafood are also significant sources of mercury in our diet.
- Global air circulation also deposits airborne mercury on land. Half or more of the
mercury that falls on North America may come from abroad, much of it from Asian coal-
burning power plants.
- Increased burning coal burning in China, which for years built new coalburning power
plants at the rate of one or two per week, is understood to be the main cause of growing
mercury emissions in the Pacific.
- Much of our understanding of mercury poisoning comes from a disastrous case in
Minamata, Japan, in the 1950s, where a chemical factory regularly discharged mercury-
laden waste into Minamata Bay. Babies whose mothers ate mercury-contaminated fish
suffered profound neurological disabilities, including deafness, blindness, mental
retardation, and cerebral palsy. In adults, mercury poisoning caused numbness, loss of
muscle control, and dementia. The connection between “Minamata disease” and mercury
was established in the 1950s, but waste dumping didn’t end for another ten years.
CARBON DIOXIDE
Some 370 billion tons of CO2 are emitted each year from respiration
(oxidation of organic compounds by plant and animal cells). These
releases are usually balanced by an equal uptake by photosynthesis in
green plants.
- At normal concentrations, CO2 is nontoxic and innocuous, but
atmospheric levels are steadily increasing (about 0.5 percent per year)
due to human activities and are now causing global climate change, with
serious implications for both human and natural communities.
HALOGENS
The EPA is charged with regulating six greenhouse gases: carbon
dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons,
and sulfur hexafluoride. These are gases whose emissions have grown
dramatically in recent decades.
- Three of these six greenhouse gases contain halogens, a group of
lightweight, highly reactive elements (fluorine, chlorine, bromine and
iodine). Because they are generally toxic in their elemental form, they
are commonly used as fumigants and disinfectants, but they also have
hundreds of uses in industrial and commercial products.
- Halogen compounds are also powerful greenhouse gases: They trap
more energy per molecule than does CO2, and they persist in the
atmosphere for decades to centuries.
- Perfluorocarbons will persist in the atmosphere for thousands of years.
- The global warming potential (per molecule, over time) of some CFCs is
thousands of times greater than that of CO2.
- Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) have been banned for most uses in
industrialized countries, but about 600 million tons of these compounds
are used annually worldwide in spray propellants and refrigeration
compressors and for foam blowing. They diffuse into the stratosphere,
where they release chlorine and fluorine atoms that destroy ozone
molecules that protect the earth from ultraviolet radiation.
HAZARDOUS AIR POLLUTANTS

- A special category of toxins monitored by the U.S. EPA because

they are particularly dangerous.
These chemicals include carcinogens, neurotoxins, mutagens,
teratogens, endocrine system disrupters, and other highly toxic
compounds.
- The most persistent compounds require special reporting and
management because they remain in ecosystem for long periods
of time and accumulate in animal and human tissues.
- The tendency to bioaccumulate makes many of these hazardous
air pollutants especially dangerous.
- Most of these chemicals are either metal compounds,
chlorinated hydrocarbons, or volatile organic compounds.
- Gasoline vapors, solvents, and components of plastics are all
HAPs that you may encounter on a daily basis.
AESTHETIC DEGREDATION

Any undesirable change in the physical characteristics or

chemistry of the atmosphere, such as noise, odors, and light
pollution.
- These factors rarely threaten life or health directly, but they can
strongly impact our quality of life.
- They also increase stress, which affects health.
- Factories that emit noxious chemicals sometimes spray “odor
maskants” or perfumes into smokestacks to cover up
objectionable odors.
- Light pollution also is a concern in most urban areas, where
ambient light confuses birds and hides the stars.
INDOOR AIR SOMETIMES
WORSE THAN OUTDOOR AIR
The EPA has found that concentrations of toxic air pollutants are
often higher indoors than outdoors.
- People generally spend more time inside than out, so they are
exposed to higher doses of pollutants.
- Indoor air in homes has concentrations of chemicals that would
be illegal outside or in the workplace. The EPA has found that
concentrations of such compounds as chloroform, benzene,
carbon tetrachloride, formaldehyde, and styrene can be 70 times
higher in indoor air than in outdoor air, as plastics, carpets,
paints, and other common materials off-gas these materials.
- Finding less-toxic paints and fabrics can make indoor spaces
both healthier and more pleasant.
TEMPERATURE INVERSIONS

Can greatly concentrate air pollutants.

- Inversions occur when a stable layer of warmer air lies above
cooler air.
- The normal conditions, where temperatures decline with
increasing height, are inverted, and these stable conditions
prevent convection currents from dispersing pollutants.
- Inversions might last from a few hours to a few days.
- The most stable inversion conditions are usually created by
rapid nighttime cooling in a valley or basin where air movement is
restricted.
STRATOSPHERIC OZONE
In 1985 the British Antarctic Atmospheric Survey announced a
startling and disturbing discovery: Stratospheric ozone
concentrations over the South Pole were dropping precipitously
during September and October every year as the sun reappeared
at the end of the long polar winter. This ozone depletion has been
occurring at least since the 1960s but was not recognized because
earlier researchers programmed their instruments to ignore
changes in ozone levels that were presumed to be erroneous.
- Chlorine-based aerosols, especially CFCs and other halon gases,
are the principal agents of ozone depletion.
- In 1985 the British Antarctic Atmospheric Survey announced a
startling and disturbing discovery: Stratospheric ozone
concentrations over the South Pole were dropping precipitously
during September and October every year as the sun reappeared
at the end of the long polar winter. This ozone depletion has been
occurring at least since the 1960s but was not recognized because
earlier researchers programmed their instruments to ignore
changes in ozone levels that were presumed to be erroneous.
- Chlorine-based aerosols, especially CFCs and other halon gases,
are the principal agents of ozone depletion.
 IMPORTANT CHRONIC HEALTH
EFFECTS OF AIR POLLUTANTS

Bronchitis – a persistent inflammation of bronchi and bronchioles

(large and small airways in the lung) that causes mucus buildup, a
painful cough, and involuntary muscle spasms that constrict
airways. - Emphysema – severe bronchitis, an irreversible chronic
obstructive lung disease in which airways become permanently
constricted and alveoli are damaged or even destroyed.
 ACID PRECIPITATION
The deposition of wet acidic solutions or dry acidic particles from
the air.
- English Scientist Robert Angus Smith coined the term “acid rain”
in his studies of air chemistry in Manchester, England, in the
1850s.
- By the 1940s it was known that pollutants, including
atmospheric acids, could be transported long distances by wind
currents. This was thought to be only an academic curiosity until it
was shown that precipitation of these acids can have far reaching
ecological effects.
- Unpolluted rain generally has a pH of about 5.6 due to carbonic
acid created by CO2 in air. Sulfur, chlorine, and other elements
also form acidic compounds as they are released in sea spray,
volcanic emissions, and biological decomposition. These sources
can lower the pH of rain well below 5.6. Other factors, such as
alkaline dust can raise it above 7.
 1. Air Pollution Control Facilities (APCF)
POLLUTANT REMOVAL 2. Particulate Removal
3. Sulfur Removal

AND REDUCTION 4. Nitrogen Oxides (NOx)

5. Hydrocarbon Controls
6. Saving energy and reducing pollution
 AIR POLLUTION CONTROL
FACILITIES (APCF)
General term for structure or installation controlling the quality of
emissions of air pollution source equipment (APSE).
- Examples are filters, scrubbers and dust collectors
 PARTICULATE REMOVAL

- Involves filtering air emissions. Filters trap particulates in a mesh

of cotton cloth, spun glass fibers, or asbestos-cellulose. Industrial
air filters are generally giant bags 10 to 15 m long and 2 to 3 m
wide. Effluent gas is blown through the bag, much like the bag on
a vacuum cleaner. Every few days or weeks the bags are opened
to remove the dust cake. Electrostatic precipitators are the most
common particulate controls in power plants.
 SULFUR REMOVAL

Important because sulfur oxides are among the most damaging

of all air pollutants in terms of human health and ecosystem
viability.
- Switching from soft coal with a high sulfur content to low sulfur
coal is the surest way to reduce sulfur emissions.
- Switching to cleaner oil or gas would eliminate metal effluents as
well as sulfur.
- Cleaning fuels is an alternative to switching. Coal can be
crushed, washed, and gasified to remove sulfur and metals
before combustion. This improves heat content and firing
properties, but may replace air pollution with solid-waste and
water pollution problems; furthermore, these steps are
expensive.
 NITROGEN OXIDES (NOX)

Can be reduced in both internal combustion engines and

industrial boilers by as much as 50 percent by carefully controlling
the flow of air and fuel.
- Staged burners, for example, control burning temperatures and
oxygen flow to prevent formation of NOx.
- The catalytic converter on your car uses platinum-palladium and
rhodium catalysts to remove up to 90% of NOx, hydrocarbons
and carbon monoxide at the same time.
 HYDROCARBON CONTROLS

Mainly involve complete combustion or controlling evaporation.

- Hydrocarbons and VOCs are produced by incomplete
combustion of fuels or by solvent evaporation from chemical
factories, paints, dry cleaning, plastic manufacturing, printing, and
other industrial processed. Closed systems that prevent escape of
fugitive gases can reduce many of these emissions.
- In automobiles, for instance, positive crankcase ventilation (PCV)
systems collect oil that escapes from around the pistons and
unburned fuel and channels them back to the engine for
combustion.
- Controls on fugitive losses from industrial valves, pipes, and
storage tanks can have a significant impact on air quality.
- Afterburners are often the best method for destroying VOCs in
industrial exhaust stacks.
 SAVING ENERGY AND
REDUCING POLLUTION
Conserve energy: carpool, bike, walk, use public transport, and buy compact
fluorescent bulbs and energy efficient appliances. Fortunately, Batangas City has
wide pathways so it’s easier to choose to walk from one place to another.
- Don’t use polluting two-cycle gasoline engines if cleaner four-cycle models are
available for lawn mowers, boat motors, etc.
- Buy refrigerators and air conditioners designed for CFC alternatives and with high
energy efficiency rating (EER). If you have old appliances or other CFC sources,
replace them ASAP and dispose them responsibly. In the long run, old appliances are
more expensive due to higher consumption in electricity.
- Plant trees and air purifying plants, and care for them. Not only can trees take CO2
from the air, but they can also make a place cooler by shading (Where do you want to
park in an open area? Near a tree), so if they are near a building, AC usage can be
lessened.
- Write to your congressional representatives or initiate a petition in change.org and
support a transition to an energy-efficient economy.
- If green pricing options are available in your area, buy renewable energy.
- Have your car tuned every 16,000 km and make sure that its anti-smog equipment
is working properly. Turn-off your engine when waiting longer than one minute. Start
trips a little earlier and drive slower - it not only saves fuel but it’s safer too.
- Use latex-based, low VOC paint rather than oil-based (alkyd) paint.
- Avoid spray-can products. Light charcoal fires with electric starters rather than
petroleum products.
Don’t top off your fuel tank when you buy gasoline; stop when the automatic
mechanism turns off the pump. Don’t dump gasoline or used oil on the ground or
down the drain.
 REPUBLIC ACT
NO. 8749

AN ACT PROVIDING FOR A COMPREHENSIVE AIR

POLLUTION CONTROL POLICY AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES
 CHAPTER 1
GENERAL PROVISIONS
 ARTICLE 1
BASIC AIR QUALITY POLICIES
Section 1. Short Title - This Act shall be known as the "Philippine Clean Air Act
of 1999."

Section 2. Declaration of Principles. - The State shall protect and advance

the right of the people to a balanced and healthful ecology in accord with the rhythm and
harmony of nature.

The State shall promote and protect the global environment to attain sustainable
development while recognizing the primary responsibility of local government units to deal
with environmental problems.

The State recognizes that the responsibility of cleaning the habitat and environment
is primarily area-based.

The State also recognizes the principle that "polluters must pay".
Finally, the State recognizes that a clean and healthy environment is for the good of
all and should therefore be the concern of all.
Section 3. Declaration of Policies. - The State shall pursue a policy of
balancing development and environmental protection. To achieve this end, the framework for
sustainable development shall be pursued. It shall be the policy of the State to:

a) Formulate a holistic national program of air pollution management that shall be

implemented by the government through proper delegation and effective
coordination of functions and activities;

b) Encourage cooperation and self-regulation among citizens and industries though

the application of market-based instruments;

c) Focus primarily on pollution prevention rather than on control and provide for a
comprehensive management program for air pollution;

d) Promote public information and education to encourage the participation of an

informed and active public in air quality planning and monitoring; and

e) Formulate and enforce a system of accountability for short and long-term adverse
environmental impact of a project, program or activity. This shall include the
setting up of a funding or guarantee mechanism for clean-up and environmental
rehabilitation and compensation for personal damages.
Section 4. Recognition of Rights. - Pursuant to the above-declared
principles, the following rights of citizens are hereby sought to be recognized and the State
shall seek to guarantee their enjoyment:
a) The right to breathe clean air;

b) The right to utilize and enjoy all natural resources according to the
principle of sustainable development;

c) The right to participate in the formulation, planning, implementation and

monitoring of environmental policies and programs and in the decision-
making process;

d) The right to participate in the decision-making process concerning

development policies, plans and programs projects or activities that may
have adverse impact on the environment and public health;

e) The right to be informed of the nature and extent of the potential hazard of
any activity, undertaking or project and to be served timely notice of any
significant rise in the level of pollution and the accidental or deliberate
release into the atmosphere of harmful or hazardous substances;
f) The right of access to public records which a citizen may need to exercise
his or her rights effectively under this Act;

g) The right to bring action in court or quasi- judicial bodies to enjoin all
activities in violation of environmental laws and regulations, to compel the
rehabilitation and cleanup of affected area, and to seek the imposition of
penal sanctions against violators of environmental laws; and

h) The right to bring action in court for compensation of personal damages

resulting from the adverse environmental and public health impact of a
project or activity.
 ARTICLE 2
DEFINITION OF TERMS
Section 5. Definitions - As used in this Act:

a) "Air pollutant" means any matter found in the atmosphere other than oxygen, nitrogen, water vapor, carbon dioxide, and the
inert gases in their natural or normal concentrations, that is detrimental to health or the environment, whichincludes but not
limited to smoke, dust, soot, cinders, fly ash, solid particles of any kind, gases, fumes, chemical mists, steam and radio-active
substances;

b) "Air pollution" means any alteration of the physical, chemical and biological properties of the atmospheric air, or any discharge
thereto of any liquid, gaseousor solid substances that will or is likely to create or to render the air resources of the country
harmful, detrimental, or injurious to public health, safety or welfare or which will adversely affect their utilization for domestic,
commercial, industrial, agricultural, recreational, or other legitimate purposes;

c) "Ambient air quality guideline values" mean the concentration of air over specified periods classified as short-term and long-
term which are intended to serve as goals or objectives for the protection of health and/or public welfare. These values shall be
used for air quality management purposes such as determining time trends, evaluating stages of deterioration or enhancement
of the air quality, and in general, used as basis for taking positive action in preventing, controlling, or abating air pollution;

d) "Ambient air quality" means the general amount of pollution present in a broad
area; and refers to the atmosphere's average purity as distinguished from
discharge measurements taken at the source of pollution;
e) "Certificate of Conformity" means a certificate issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to a vehicle
manufacturer/assembler or importer certifying that a particular new vehicle or vehicle type meets the requirements provided
under this Act and its rules and regulations;

f) "Department" means the Department of Environment and Natural Resources; g) "Eco-profile" means the geographical-based
instrument for planners and decision-makers which present an evaluation of the environmental quality and carrying capacity
of an area. It is the result of the integration of primary and secondary data and information on natural resources and
anthropogenic activities on the land which are evaluated by various environmental risk assessment and forecasting
methodologies that enable the Department to anticipate the type of development control necessary in the planning area;

h) "Emission" means any air contaminant, pollutant, gas stream or unwanted sound from a known source which is passed into
the atmosphere;
i) "Greenhouse gases" mean those gases that can potentially or can reasonably be expected to induce global warming, which
include carbon dioxide, methane, oxides of nitrogen, chorofluorocarbons, and the like;
J)” Hazardous substance” mean those substances which present either: (1) short-term acute hazards such as
acute toxicity by ingestion, inhalation, or skin absorption, corrosivity or other skin or eye contact hazard or the
risk of fire explosion

K) "Infectious waste" means that portion of medical waste that could transmit an infectious disease

l) "Medical waste" means the materials generated as a result of patient diagnosis, treatment, or immunization of
human beings or animals;

M) "Mobile source" means any vehicle propelled by or through combustion of carbon-based or other fuel,
constructed and operated principally for the conveyance of persons or the transportation of property or goods;

n) "Motor vehicle" mean any vehicle propelled by a gasoline or diesel engine or by any other than human or
animal power, constructed and operated principally for the conveyance of persons or the transportation of
property or goods in a public highway or street open to public use;

o) "Municipal waste" means the waste materials generated from communities within a specific locality
p) "New vehicle" means a vehicle constructed entirely from new parts that has never been sold or registered with the
DOTC or with the appropriate agency or authority, and operated on the highways of the Philippines, any foreign state or
country

q) "Octane Rating or the Anti-Knock Index (AKI)" means the rating of the antiknock characteristics of a grade or type of
automotive gasoline as determined by dividing by two

r) "Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS)" mean those substances that significantly deplete or otherwise modify the ozone
layer in a manner that is likely to result in adverse effects on human health and the environment such as, but not limited
to, chlorofluorocarbons, halons, and the like;

s) "Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)" mean the organic compounds that persist in the environment, bioaccumulate
through the food web, and pose a risk of causing adverse effects to human health and the environment.

t) "Poisonous and toxic fumes" mean any emissions and fumes which are beyond internationally-accepted standards,
including but not limited to World Health Organization (WHO) guideline values

u) "Pollution control device" means any device or apparatus used to prevent, control or abate the pollution of air caused
by emissions from identified pollution sources at levels within the air pollution control standard established by the
Department
v) "Pollution control technology" means the pollution control devices, production processes, fuel combustion processes or
other means that effectively prevent or reduce emissions or effluent;

w) "Standard of performance" means a standard for emissions of air pollutant which reflects the degree of emission
limitation achievable through the application of the best system of emission reduction, taking into account the cost of
achieving such reduction and any non-air quality health and environmental impact and energy requirement which the
Department determines, and adequately demonstrates;

x) "Stationary source" means any building or immobile structure, facility or installation which emits or may emit any air
pollutant
 Chapter 2

Air Quality Management System

Article 1
General Provisions

Section 6. Air Quality Monitoring and Information Network. - The Department

shall prepare an annual National Air Quality Status Report which shall be used as the basis
in formulating the Integrated Air Quality Improvement Framework, as provided for in Section
7. The said report shall include, but shall not be limited to the following:

a) Extent of pollution in the country, per type of pollutant and per type of source, based on
reports of the Department's monitoring stations;

b) Analysis and evaluation of the current state, trends and projections of air pollution at the
various levels provided herein;

c) Identification of critical areas, activities, or projects which will need closer monitoring or
regulation;
d) Recommendations for necessary executive and legislative action; and

e) Other pertinent qualitative and quantitative information concerning the extent of air
pollution and the air quality performance rating of industries in the country.
The Department, in cooperation with the National Statistical Coordination Board
(NSCB), shall design and develop an information network for data storage, retrieval and
 The Department shall serve as the central depository of all data and information
related to air quality.

Section 7. Integrated Air Quality Improvement Framework. - The

Department shall, within six (6) months after the effectivity of this Act, establish, with the
participation of LGUs, NGOs, POs, the academe and other concerned entities from the
private sector, formulate and implement the Integrated Air Quality Improvement Framework
for a comprehensive air pollution management and control program. The framework shall,
among others, prescribe the emission reduction goals using permissible standards, control
strategies and control measures to be undertaken within a specified time period, including
cost-effective use of economic incentives, management strategies, collective action, and
environmental education and information.
The Integrated Air Quality Improvement Framework shall be adopted as the official
blueprint with which all government agencies must comply with to attain and maintain
ambient air quality standards.
Section 8. Air Quality Control Action Plan. - Within six (6) months after the
formulation of the framework, the Department shall, with public participation, formulate and
implement an air quality control action plan consistent with Section 7 of this Act. The action
plan shall:

a) Include enforceable emission limitations and other control measures, means or techniques, as well as schedules and time
tables for compliance, as may be necessary or appropriate to meet the applicable requirements of this Act;

b) Provide for the establishment and operation of appropriate devices, methods, systems and procedures necessary to
monitor, compile and analyze data on ambient air quality;
c) Include a program to provide for the following: (1) enforcement of the measures described in the subparagraph (a); (2)
regulation of the modification and construction of any stationary source within the areas covered by the plan, in accordance
with land use policy to ensure that ambient air quality standards are achieved;

d) Contain adequate provisions, consistent with the provisions of this Act, prohibiting any source or other types of emissions
activity within the country from emitting any air pollutant in amounts which will significantly contribute to the non- attainment
or will interfere with the maintenance by the Department of any such ambient air quality standard required to be included in
the implementation plan to prevent significant deterioration of air quality or to protect visibility;

e) Include control strategies and control measures to be undertaken within a specified time period, including cost-effective use
of economic incentives, management strategies, collection action, and environmental education and information;

f) Designate airsheds; and

g) All other measures necessary for the effective control and abatement of air
pollution.
The adoption of the plan shall clarify the legal effects on the financial, manpower and
budgetary resources of the affected government agencies, and on the alignment of their
programs with the plans.

In addition to direct regulations, the plan shall be characterized by a participatory

approach to the pollution problem. The involvement of private entities in the monitoring and
testing of emissions from mobile and/or stationary sources shall be considered.

Likewise, the LGUs, with the assistance from the Department, shall prepare and
develop an action plan consistent with the Integrated Air Quality Improvement Framework to
attain and maintain the ambient air quality standards within their respective airsheds as
provided in Section 9 hereof.

The local government units shall develop and submit to the Department a procedure
for carrying out the action plan for their jurisdiction. The Department, however, shall maintain
its authority to independently inspect the enforcement procedure adopted. The Department
shall have the power to closely supervise all or parts of the air quality action plan until such
time the local government unit concerned can assume the function to enforce the standards
set by the Department.

A multi-sectoral monitoring team with broad public representation shall be convened

by the Department for each LGU to conduct periodic inspections of air pollution sources to
assess compliance with the emission limitations contained in their permits.
Section 9. Airsheds. - Pursuant to Section 8 of this Act, the designation of
airsheds shall be on the basis of, but not limited to, areas with similar climate, meteorology
and topology which affect the interchange and diffusion of pollutants in the atmosphere, or
areas which share common interest or face similar development programs, prospects or
problems.

For a more effective air quality management, a system of planning and coordination
shall be established and a common action plan shall be formulated for each airshed.
To effectively carry out the formulated action plans, a Governing Board is hereby
created, hereinafter referred to as the Board.
The Board shall be headed by the Secretary of the Department of Environment and
Natural Resources as chairman. The members shall be as follows:

a) Provincial Governors from areas belonging to the airshed;

b) City/Municipal Mayors from areas belonging to the airshed;
c) A representative from each concerned government agency;
d) Representatives from people's organizations;
e) Representatives from nongovernment organizations; and
f) Representatives from the private sector.
The Board shall perform the following functions:
a) Formulation of policies;
b) Preparation of a common action plan;
c) Coordination of functions among its members; and
d) Submission and publication of an annual Air Quality Status Report for each
airshed.

Upon consultation with appropriate local government authorities, the Department

shall, from time to time, revise the designation of airsheds utilizing eco-profiling techniques
and undertaking scientific studies.
Emissions trading may be allowed among pollution sources within an airshed.
The adoption of the plan shall clarify the legal effects on the financial, manpower and
budgetary resources of the affected government agencies, and on the alignment of their
programs with the plans.

In addition to direct regulations, the plan shall be characterized by a participatory

approach to the pollution problem. The involvement of private entities in the monitoring and
testing of emissions from mobile and/or stationary sources shall be considered.

Likewise, the LGUs, with the assistance from the Department, shall prepare and
develop an action plan consistent with the Integrated Air Quality Improvement Framework to
attain and maintain the ambient air quality standards within their respective airsheds as
provided in Section 9 hereof.

The local government units shall develop and submit to the Department a procedure
for carrying out the action plan for their jurisdiction. The Department, however, shall maintain
its authority to independently inspect the enforcement procedure adopted. The Department
shall have the power to closely supervise all or parts of the air quality action plan until such
time the local government unit concerned can assume the function to enforce the standards
set by the Department.

A multi-sectoral monitoring team with broad public representation shall be convened

by the Department for each LGU to conduct periodic inspections of air pollution sources to
assess compliance with the emission limitations contained in their permits.
Section 10. Management of Nonattainment Areas. - The Department shall
designate areas where specific pollutants have already exceeded ambient standards as
nonattainment areas. The Department shall prepare and implement a program that will
prohibit new sources of exceeded air pollutant without a corresponding reduction in existing
sources.
In coordination with other appropriate government agencies, the LGUs shall prepare
and implement a program and other measures including relocation, whenever necessary, to
protect the health and welfare of residents in the area.
For those designated as nonattainment areas, the Department after consultation with
local government authorities, nongovernment organizations (NGOs), people's organizations
(POs) and concerned sectors may revise the designation of such areas and expand its
coverage to cover larger areas depending on the condition of the areas.
Section 11. Air Quality Control Techniques - Simultaneous with the issuance
of the guideline values and standards, the Department, through the research and
development program contained in this Act and upon consultation with the appropriate
advisory committees, government agencies and LGUs, shall issue, and from time to time,
revise information on air pollution control techniques. Such information shall include:
a) Best available technology and alternative methods of prevention, management
and control of air pollution
b) Best available technology economically achievable which shall refer to the
technological basis/standards for emission limits applicable to existing, direct
industrial emitters of non-conventional and toxic pollutants; and
c) Alternative fuels, processes and operating methods which will result in the
elimination or significant reduction of emissions.
Such information may also include data relating to the cost of installation and
operation, energy requirements, emission reduction benefits, and environmental impact or
the emission control technology.
The issuance of air quality guideline values, standards and information on air quality
control techniques shall be made available to the general public: Provided, That the
issuance of information on air quality control techniques shall not be construed as requiring
the purchase of certain pollution control devices by the public.
Section 12. Ambient Air Quality Guideline Values and Standards. - The
Department, in coordination with other concerned agencies, shall review and/or revise and
publish annually a list of hazardous air pollutants with corresponding ambient guideline
values and/or standard necessary to protect public health and safety, and general welfare.
The initial list and values of the hazardous air pollutants shall be as follows:

PRIME - M4 Page 9 of 29
a) For National Ambient Air Quality Guideline for Criteria Pollutants:
Maximum limits represented by ninety-eight percentile (98%) values not to be exceeded
more than once a year.
b Arithmetic mean. c SO2 and Suspended Particulate Matter are sampled once every six days when using the
manual methods. A minimum of twelve sampling days per quarter or forty-eight
sampling days each year is required for these methods. Daily sampling may be done in
the future once continuous analyzers are procured and become available.
d Limits for Total Suspended Particulate Matter with mass median diameter less than 25-50
μm. e Annual Geometric Mean.
f Provisional limits for Suspended Particulate Matter with mass median diameter less than
10 microns and below until sufficient monitoring data are gathered to base a proper
guideline.
g Evaluation of this guideline is carried out for 24-hour averaging time and averaged over
three moving calendar months. The monitored average value for any three months shall
not exceed the guideline value.
b) For National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Source Specific Air
Pollutants from Industrial Sources/Operations:
Matter - TSP - PM10 200 -- 60 - do -

1 Pertinent ambient standards for Antimony, Arsenic, Cadmium, Asbestos, Nitric Acid and
Sulfuric Acid Mists in the 1978 NPCC Rules and Regulations may be considered as
guides in determining compliance.
2 Ninety-eight percentile (98%) values of 30-minute sampling measured at 25°C and one
atmosphere pressure.
3 Other equivalent methods approved by the Department may be used.

The basis in setting up the ambient air quality guideline values and standards shall
reflect, among others, the latest scientific knowledge including information on:
a) Variable factors, including atmospheric conditions, which of themselves or in
combination with other factors may alter the effects on public health or welfare of such
air pollutant;
b) The other types of air pollutants which may interact with such pollutant to produce an
adverse effect on public health or welfare; and
c) The kind and extent of all identifiable effects on public health or welfare which may be
expected from the presence of such pollutant in the ambient air, in varying quantities.
The Department shall base such ambient air quality standards on World Health
Organization (WHO) standards, but shall not be limited to nor be less stringent than such
standards.
Section 13. Emission Charge System. - The Department, in case of industrial
dischargers, and the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC), in case of
motor vehicle dischargers, shall, based on environmental techniques, design, impose on and
collect regular emission fees from said dischargers as part of the emission permitting system
or vehicle registration renewal system, as the case may be. The system shall encourage the
industries, and motor vehicles to abate, reduce, or prevent pollution. The basis of the fees
include, but is not limited to, the volume and toxicity of any emitted pollutant. Industries,
which shall install pollution control devices or retrofit their existing facilities with mechanisms
that reduce pollution shall be entitled to tax incentives such as but not limited to tax credits
and/or accelerated depreciation deductions.
Section 14. Air Quality Management Fund. - An Air Quality Management
Fund to be administered by the Department as a special account in the National Treasury is
hereby established to finance containment, removal, and clean-up operations of the
Government in air pollution cases, guarantee restoration of ecosystems and rehabilitate
areas affected by the acts of violators of this Act, to support research, enforcement and
monitoring activities and capabilities of the relevant agencies, as well as to provide technical
assistance to the relevant agencies. Such fund may likewise be allocated per airshed for the
undertakings herein stated.

The Fund shall be sourced from the fines imposed and damages awarded to the
Republic of the Philippines by the Pollution Adjudication Board (PAB), proceeds of licenses
and permits issued by the Department under this Act, emission fees and from donations,
endowments and grants in the forms of contributions. Contributions to the Fund shall be
exempted from donor taxes and all other taxes, charges or fees imposed by the
Government.
Section 15. Air Pollution Research and Development Program. - The
Department, in coordination with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), other
agencies, the private sector, the academe, NGOs and POs, shall establish a National
Research and Development Program for the prevention and control of air pollution. The
Department shall give special emphasis to research on and the development of improved
methods having industry-wide application for the prevention and control of air pollution.
Such a research and development program shall develop air quality guideline values
and standards in addition to internationally-accepted standards. It shall also consider the
socio-cultural, political and economic implications of air quality management and pollution
control.
 Air Pollution Clearances And Permits For

Stationary Sources

Section 16. Permits. - Consistent with the provisions of this Act, the
Department shall have the authority to issue permits as it may determine necessary for the
prevention and abatement of air pollution.
Said permits shall cover emission limitations for the regulated air pollutants to help
attain and maintain the ambient air quality standards. These permits shall serve as
management tools for the LGUs in the development of their action plan.
Section 17. Emission Quotas. - The Department may allow each regional
industrial center that is designated as special airshed to allocate emission quotas to pollution
sources within its jurisdiction that qualify under an environmental impact assessment system
programmatic compliance program pursuant to the implementing rules and regulations of
Presidential Decree No. 1586.
Section 18. Financial Liability for Environmental Rehabilitation. - As part of
the environmental management plan attached to the environmental compliance certificate
pursuant to Presidential Decree No. 1586 and rules and regulations set therefor, the
Department shall require program and project proponents to put up financial guarantee
mechanisms to finance the needs for emergency response, clean-up or rehabilitation of
areas that may be damaged during the program or project's actual implementation. Liability
for damages shall continue even after the termination of a program or project, where such
damages are clearly attributable to that program or project and for a definite period to be
determined by the Department and incorporated into the environmental compliance
certificate.

Financial liability instruments may be in the form of a trust fund, environmental

insurance, surety bonds, letters of credit, as well as self-insurance. The choice of the
guarantee instrument or combinations thereof shall depend, among others, on the
assessment of the risks involved. Proponents required to put up guarantee instruments shall
furnish the Department with evidence of availment of such instruments.
 Article 3

Pollution From Stationary Sources

Section 19. Pollution From Stationary Sources. - The Department shall,

within two (2) years from the effectivity of this Act, and every two (2) years thereafter, review,
or as the need therefor arises, revise and publish emission standards, to further improve the

PRIME - M4 Page 13 of 29
emission standards for stationary sources of air pollution. Such emission standards shall be
based on mass rate of emission for all stationary sources of air pollution based on
internationally-accepted standards, but not be limited to, nor be less stringent than such
standards and with the standards set forth in this section. The standards, whichever is
applicable, shall be the limit on the acceptable level of pollutants emitted from a stationary
source for the protection of the public's health and welfare.
With respect to any trade, industry, process and fuel-burning equipment or industrial
plant emitting air pollutants, the concentration at the point of emission shall not exceed the
following limits:
a. Other equivalent methods approved by the Department may be used.
b. Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry
c. All new geothermal power plants starting construction by 01 January 1995 shall control
H2S emissions to not more than 150 g/GMW-Hr.
d. All existing geothermal power plants shall control H2S emissions to not more than 200
g/GMW-Hr within 5 years from the date of effectivity of these revised regulations.
e. Best practicable control technology for air emissions and liquid discharges. Compliance
with air and water quality standards is required.
f. Emission limit of Nickel Carbonyl shall not exceed 0.5 mg/NCM.
g. Provisional Guideline

Provided, That the maximum limits in mg/NCM particulates in said sources shall be:
1. Fuel Burning Equipment

a) Urban or Industrial Area 150 mg/NCM

b) Other Area 200 mg/NCM

2. Cement Plants (Kilns, etc.) 150 mg/NCM
3. Smelting Furnaces 150 mg/NCM
4. Other Stationary Sources a 200 mg/NCM
a Other Stationary Sources means a trade, process, industrial plant, or fuel burning
equipment other than thermal power plants, industrial boilers, cement plants,
incinerators and smelting furnaces
Provided, further, That the maximum limits for sulfur oxides in said sources shall be:
(1) Existing Sources
(i) Manufacture of Sulfuric Acid and Sulf(on)ation Process 2.0 gm/NCM as SO3
(ii) Fuel Burning Equipment 1.5 gm/NCM as SO2
(iii) Other Stationary Sources a 1.0 gm/NCM as SO3

(2) New Sources

(i) Manufacture of Sulfuric Acid and Sulf(on)ation Process 1.5 gm/NCM as SO3
(ii) Fuel Burning Equipment 0.7 gm/NCM as SO2
(iii) Other Stationary Sources a 0.2 gm/NCM as SO3
a Other Stationary Sources refer to existing and new stationary sources other than those
caused by the manufacture of sulfuric acid and sulfonation process, fuel burning
equipment and incineration.
For stationary sources of pollution not specifically included in the immediately
preceding paragraph, the following emission standards shall not be exceeded in the exhaust
gas:
II. All Average Values over the Sample Period of a Minimum of 4 and Maximum of
8 Hours
These average values cover also gaseous and the vapor forms of the relevant heavy
metal emissions as well as their compounds: Provided, That the emission of dioxins and
furans into the air shall be reduced by the most progressive techniques: Provided, further,
That all average values of dioxin and furans measured over the sample period of a minimum
of 6 hours and a maximum of 8 hours must not exceed the limit value of 0.1 nanogram/m3.

Pursuant to Section 8 of this Act, the Department shall prepare a detailed action plan
setting the emission standards or standards of performance for any stationary source, the
procedure for testing emissions for each type of pollutant, and the procedure for
enforcement of said standards.

Existing industries, which are proven to exceed emission rates established by the
Department, in consultation with stakeholders, after a thorough, credible and transparent
measurement process shall be allowed a grace period of eighteen (18) months for the
establishment of an environmental management system and the installation of an
appropriate air pollution control device: Provided, That an extension of not more than twelve
(12) months may be allowed by the Department on meritorious grounds.
Section 20. Ban on Incineration. - Incineration, hereby defined as the burning
of municipal, bio-medical and hazardous wastes, which process emits poisonous and toxic
fumes, is hereby prohibited: Provided, however, That the prohibition shall not apply to
traditional small-scale method of community/neighborhood sanitation "siga", traditional,
agricultural, cultural, health, and food preparation and crematoria: Provided, further, That

existing incinerators dealing with bio-medical wastes shall be phased out within three (3)
years after the effectivity of this Act: Provided, finally, That in the interim, such units shall be
limited to the burning of pathological and infectious wastes, and subject to close monitoring
by the Department.
Local government units are hereby mandated to promote, encourage and implement
in their respective jurisdiction a comprehensive ecological waste management that includes
waste segregation, recycling and composting.
With due concern on the effects of climate change, the Department shall promote the
use of state-of-the-art, environmentally-sound and safe non-burn technologies for the
handling, treatment, thermal destruction, utilization, and disposal of sorted, unrecycled,
uncomposted municipal, bio-medical and hazardous wastes.
 Article 4

Pollution From Motor Vehicles

Section 21. Pollution from Motor Vehicles. - a) The DOTC shall implement
the emission standards for motor vehicles set pursuant to and as provided in this Act. To
further improve the emission standards, the Department shall review, revise and publish the
standards every two (2) years, or as the need arises. It shall consider the maximum limits
for all major pollutants to ensure substantial improvement in air quality for the health, safety
and welfare of the general public.

The following emission standards for type approval of motor vehicles shall be
effective by the year 2003:

In the case of engines of 85kW or less, the limit

value for particular emissions is increased
by multiplying the quoted limit by a coefficient of
1.7
Fuel evaporative emission for spark-ignition engines shall not exceed 2.0 grams
hydrocarbons per test. Likewise, it shall not allow any emission of gases from crankcase
ventilation system into the atmosphere.

b) The Department, in collaboration with the DOTC, DTI and LGUs, shall develop an
action plan for the control and management of air pollution from motor vehicles
consistent with the Integrated Air Quality Framework. The DOTC shall enforce
compliance with the emission standards for motor vehicles set by the
Department. The DOTC may deputize other law enforcement agencies and
LGUs for this purpose. To this end, the DOTC shall have the power to:

(1) Inspect and monitor the emissions of motor vehicles;

(2) Prohibit or enjoin the use of motor vehicles or a class of motor vehicles in any
area or street at specified times; and
(3) Authorize private emission testing centers duly accredited by the DTI.
c) The DOTC, together with the DTI and the Department, shall establish the
procedures for the inspection of motor vehicles and the testing of their emissions
for the purpose of determining the concentration and/or rate of emission of
pollutants discharged by said sources.
d) In order to ensure the substantial reduction of emissions from motor vehicles, the
Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), together with the DOTC and the
Department, shall formulate and implement national motor vehicle inspection and
maintenance program that will promote efficient and safe operation of all motor
vehicles. In this regard, the DTI shall develop and implement standards and
procedures for the certification of training institutions, instructors and facilities and
the licensing of qualified private service centers and their technicians as
prerequisite for performing the testing, servicing, repair and the required
adjustment to the vehicle emission system. The DTI shall likewise prescribe

regulations requiring the disclosure of odometer readings and the use of tamper-
resistant odometers for all motor vehicles including tamper-resistant fuel

management systems for the effective implementation of the inspection and

maintenance program.
Section 22. Regulation of All Motor Vehicles and Engines. - Any imported
new or locally-assembled new motor vehicle shall not be registered unless it complies with
the emission standards set pursuant to this Act, as evidenced by a Certificate of Conformity
(COC) issued by the Department.
Any imported new motor vehicle engine shall not be introduced into commerce, sold
or used unless it complies with emission standards set pursuant to this Act.

Any imported used motor vehicle or rebuilt motor vehicle using new or used engines,
major parts or components shall not be registered unless it complies with the emission
standards set pursuant to this Act.
In case of non-compliance, the importer or consignee may be allowed to modify or
rebuild the vehicle or engine so that it will be in compliance with applicable emission
standards.

No motor vehicle registration (MVR) shall be issued unless such motor vehicle
passes the emission testing requirement promulgated in accordance with this Act. Such
testing shall be conducted by the DOTC or its authorized inspection centers within sixty (60)
days prior to date of registration.

The DTI shall promulgate the necessary regulations prescribing the useful life of
vehicles and engines including devices in order to ensure that such vehicles will conform to
the emissions which they were certified to meet. These regulations shall include provisions
for ensuring the durability of emission devices.

Section 23. Second-Hand Motor Vehicle Engines. - Any imported second-

hand motor vehicle engine shall not be introduced into commerce, sold or used unless it
complies with emission standards set pursuant to this Act.
 Article 5

Pollution From Other Sources

Section 24. Pollution from Smoking. - Smoking inside a public building or an

enclosed public place including public vehicles and other means of transport or in any
enclosed area outside of one's private residence, private place of work or any duly
designated smoking area is hereby prohibited under this Act. This provision shall be
implemented by the LGUs.

Section 25. Pollution from Other Mobile Sources: - The Department, in

coordination with appropriate agencies, shall formulate and establish the necessary
standards for all mobile sources other than those referred to in Section 21 of this Act. The
imposition of the appropriate fines and penalties from these sources for any violation of
emission standards shall be under the jurisdiction of the DOTC.
 Chapter 3

Fuels, Additives, Substances And Pollutants

Article 1

Fuels, Additives And Substances

Section 26. Fuels and Additives. - Pursuant to the Air Quality Framework to
be established under Section 7 of this Act, this Department of Energy (DOE), co-chaired by
the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), in consultation with the
Bureau of Product Standards (BPS) of the DTI, the DOST, the representatives of the fuel
and automotive industries, academe and the consumers shall set specifications for all types
of fuel and fuel-related products, to improve fuel composition for increased efficiency and

reduced emissions: Provided, however, That the specifications for all types of fuel and fuel-
related products set-forth pursuant to this section shall be adopted by the BPS as Philippine

National Standards (PNS).

The DOE, shall also specify the allowable content of additives in all types of fuels and
fuel-related products. Such standards shall be based primarily on threshold levels of health
and research studies. On the basis of such specifications, the DOE shall likewise limit the
content or begin the phase-out of additives in all types of fuels and fuel-related products as it
may deem necessary. Other agencies involved in the performance of this function shall be
required to coordinate with the DOE and transfer all documents and information necessary
for the implementation of this provision.
Consistent with the provisions of the preceding paragraphs under this section, it is
declared that:
a) not later than eighteen (18) months after the effectivity of this Act, no person
shall manufacture, import, sell, supply, offer for sale, dispense, transport or

introduce into commerce unleaded premium gasoline fuel which has an anti-
knock index (AKI) of not less than 87.5 and Reid vapor pressure of not more

than 9 psi. Within six (6) months after the effectivity of this Act, unleaded
gasoline fuel shall contain aromatics not to exceed forty-five percent (45%) by
volume and benzene not to exceed four percent (4%) by volume: Provided,
That by year 2003, unleaded gasoline fuel should contain aromatics not to
exceed thirty-five percent (35%) by volume and benzene not to exceed two
percent (2%) by volume;

b) not later than eighteen (18) months after the effectivity of this Act, no person
shall manufacture, import, sell, supply, offer for sale, dispense, transport or
introduce into commerce automotive diesel fuel which contains a
concentration of sulfur in excess of 0.20% by weight with a cetane number or
index of not less than forty-eight (48): Provided, That by year 2004, content
of said sulfur shall be 0.05% by weight, and

c) not later than eighteen (18) months after the effectivity of this Act, no person
shall manufacture, import, sell, supply, offer for sale, dispense, transport or
introduce into commerce industrial diesel fuel which contains a concentration
of sulfur in excess of 0.30% (by weight).
Every two (2) years thereafter or as the need arises, the specifications of unleaded
gasoline and of automotive and industrial diesel fuels shall be reviewed and revised for
further improvement in formulation and in accordance with the provisions of this Act.

PRIME - M4 Page 21 of 29
The fuels characterized above shall be commercially available. Likewise, the same
shall be the reference fuels for emission and testing procedures to be established in
accordance with the provisions of this Act.

Any proposed additive shall not in any way increase emissions of any of the
regulated gases which shall include, but not limited to carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, and
oxides of nitrogen and particulate matter, in order to be approved and certified by the
Department.
Section 27. Regulation of Fuels and Fuel Additives. - The DOE, in
coordination with the Department and the BPS, shall regulate the use of any fuel or fuel
additive. No manufacturer, processor or trader of any fuel or additive may import, sell, offer
for sale, or introduce into commerce such fuel or additive unless the same has been
registered with the DOE. Prior to registration, the manufacturer, processor or trader shall
provide the DOE with the following relevant information:

a) Product identity and composition to determine the potential health effects of

such fuels and additives;

b) Description of the analytical technique that can be used to detect and

measure the additive in any fuel;

c) Recommended range of concentration; and

d) Purpose in the use of the fuel and additive.

Section 28. Misfuelling. - In order to prevent the disabling of any emission
control device by lead contamination, no person shall introduce or cause or allow the
introduction of leaded gasoline into any motor vehicle equipped with a gasoline tank filler
inlet and labeled "unleaded gasoline only". This prohibition shall also apply to any person
who knows or should know that such vehicle is designed solely for the use of unleaded
gasoline.

Section 29. Prohibition on Manufacture, Import and Sale of Leaded Gasoline

and of Engines and/or Components Requiring Leaded Gasoline. - Effective not
later than eighteen (18) months after the enactment of this Act, no person shall
manufacture, import, sell, offer for sale, introduce into commerce, convey or otherwise
dispose of, in any manner leaded gasoline and engines and components requiring the use of
leaded gasoline.

For existing vehicles, the DTI shall formulate standards and procedures that will allow
non-conforming engines to comply with the use of unleaded fuel within five (5) years after
the effectivity of this Act.
Section 30. Ozone-Depleting Substances. - Consistent with the terms and
conditions of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer and other
international agreements and protocols to which the Philippine is a signatory, the
Department shall phase out ozone-depleting substances.

PRIME - M4 Page 22 of 29
Within sixty (60) days after the enactment of this Act, the Department shall publish a
list of substances which are known to cause harmful effects on the stratospheric ozone
layer.
Section 31. Greenhouse Gases. - The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical
and Astronomical Service Administration (PAGASA) shall regularly monitor meteorological
factors affecting environmental conditions including ozone depletion and greenhouse gases
and coordinate with the Department in order to effectively guide air pollution monitoring and
standard-setting activities.

The Department, together with concerned agencies and local government units, shall
prepare and fully implement a national plan consistent with the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change and other international agreements, conventions and
protocols on the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in the country.

Section 32. Persistent Organic Pollutants. - The Department shall, within a

period of two (2) years after the enactment of this Act, establish an inventory list of all
sources of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) in the country. The Department shall
develop short-term and long-term national government programs on the reduction and
elimination of POPs such as dioxins and furans. Such programs shall be formulated within a
year after the establishment of the inventory list.
Section 33. Radioactive Emissions. - All projects which will involve the use
of atomic and/or nuclear energy, and will entail release and emission of radioactive
substances into the environment, incident to the establishment or possession of nuclear
energy facilities and radioactive materials, handling, transport, production, storage, and use
of radioactive materials, shall be regulated in the interest of public health and welfare by the
Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI), in coordination with the Department and other
appropriate government agencies.
Section 37. Environment and Natural Resources Office. - There may be
established an Environment and Natural Resources Office in every province, city, or
municipality which shall be headed by the environment and natural resources officer and
shall be appointed by the Chief Executive of every province, city or municipality in
accordance with the provisions of Section 484 of Republic Act No. 7160. Its powers and
duties, among others, are:

a) To prepare comprehensive air quality management programs, plans and

strategies within the limits set forth in Republic Act No. 7160 and this Act
which shall be implemented within its territorial jurisdiction upon the approval
of the sanggunian;

b) To provide technical assistance and support to the governor or mayor, as the

case may be, in carrying out measures to ensure the delivery of basic
services and the provision of adequate facilities relative to air quality;

c) To take the lead in all efforts concerning air quality protection and
rehabilitation;

d) To recommend to the Board air quality standards which shall not exceed the
maximum permissible standards set by national laws;

e) To coordinate with other government agencies and non-governmental

organizations in the implementation of measures to prevent and control air
pollution; and

f) Exercise such other powers and perform such duties and functions as may be
prescribed by law or ordinance; Provided, however, That in
provinces/cities/municipalities where there are no environment and natural
resources officers, the local executive concerned may designate any of his
official and/or chief of office preferably the provincial, city or municipal
agriculturist, or any of his employee; Provided, finally, That in case an
employee is designated as such, he must have a sufficient experience in
environmental and natural resources management, conservation and
utilization.
Section 38. Record-keeping, Inspection, Monitoring and Entry by the
Department. - The Department or its duly accredited entity shall, after proper
consultation and notice, require any person who owns or operates any emission source or
who is subject to any requirement of this Act to: (a) establish and maintain relevant records;
(b) make relevant reports; (c) install, use and maintain monitoring equipment or methods;
(d) sample emission, in accordance with the methods, locations, intervals, and manner
prescribed by the Department; (e) keep records on control equipment parameters,
production variables or other indirect data when direct monitoring of emissions is impractical;
and (f) provide such other information as the Department may reasonably require.
Pursuant to this Act, the Department, through its authorized representatives, shall
have the right of: a) entry or access to any premises including documents and relevant
materials as referred to in the herein preceding paragraphs; b) inspect any pollution or
waste source, control device, monitoring equipment or method required; and c) test any
emission.

Any record, report or information obtained under this section shall be made available
to the public, except upon a satisfactory showing to the Department by the entity concerned
that the record, report, or information, or parts thereof, if made public, would divulge secret

methods or processes entitled to protection as intellectual property. Such record, report or

information shall likewise be incorporated in the Department's industrial rating system.
Section 39. Public Education and Information Campaign. - A continuing

air quality information and education campaign shall be promoted by the Department, the
Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS), the Department of the Interior and
Local Government (DILG), the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Philippine Information
Agency (PIA). Consistent with Section 7 of this Act, such campaign shall encourage the
participation of other government agencies and the private sector including NGOs, POs, the
academe, environmental groups and other private entities in a multi-sectoral information
campaign.
 Chapter 5
Actions

Section 40. Administrative Action. - Without prejudice to the right of any

affected person to file an administrative action, the Department shall, on its own instance or
upon verified complaint by any person, institute administrative proceedings against any
person who violates:

a) Standards or limitation provided under this Act; or

b) Any order, rule or regulation issued by the Department with respect to such
standard or limitation.

Section 41. Citizen Suits. - For purposes of enforcing the provisions of this
Act or its implementing rules and regulations, any citizen may file an appropriate civil,
criminal or administrative action in the proper courts against:
a) Any person who violates or fails to comply with the provisions of this Act or its
implementing rules and regulations; or
b) The Department or other implementing agencies with respect to orders, rules
and regulations issued inconsistent with this Act, and/or
c) Any public officer who willfully or grossly neglects the performance of an act
specifically enjoined as a duty by this Act or its implementing rules and
regulations; or abuses his authority in the performance of his duty; or, in any
manner, improperly performs his duties under this Act or its implementing
rules and regulations: Provided, however, That no suit can be filed until after
thirty-day (30) notice has been given to the public officer and the alleged
violator concerned and no appropriate action has been taken thereon.
The court shall exempt such action from the payment of filing fees, except fees for
actions not capable of pecuniary estimations, and shall, likewise, upon prima facie showing
of the non-enforcement or violation complained of, exempt the plaintiff from the filing of an
injunction bond for the issuance of a preliminary injunction.
Within thirty (30) days, the court shall make a determination if the complaint herein is
malicious and/or baseless and shall accordingly dismiss the action and award attorney's
fees and damages.

Section 42. Independence of Action. - The filing of an administrative suit

against such person/entity does not preclude the right of any other person to file any criminal
or civil action. Such civil action shall proceed independently.

Section 43. Suits and Strategic Legal Actions Against Public Participation
and the Enforcement of this Act. - Where a suit is brought against a person who filed
an action as provided in Section 41 of this Act, or against any person, institution or
government agency that implements this Act, it shall be the duty of the investigating
prosecutor or the court, as the case may be, to immediately make a determination not
exceeding thirty (30) days whether said legal action has been filed to harass, vex, exert
undue pressure or stifle such legal recourses of the person complaining of or enforcing the
provisions of this Act. Upon determination thereof, evidence warranting the same, the court
shall dismiss the case and award attorney's fees and double damages.
This provision shall also apply and benefit public officers who are sued for acts
committed in their official capacity, there being no grave abuse of authority, and done in the
course of enforcing this Act.
Section 44. Lien Upon Personal and Immovable Properties of Violators. -
Fines and penalties imposed pursuant to this Act shall be liens upon personal and
immovable properties of the violator. Such lien shall, in case of insolvency of the
respondent violator, enjoy preference subsequent to laborer's wages under Articles 2241
and 2242 of Republic Act No. 386, otherwise known as the New Civil Code of the
Philippines.
 Chapter 6
Fines And Penalties

Section 45. Violation of Standards for Stationary Sources. - For actual

exceedance of any pollution or air quality standards under this Act or its rules and
regulations, the Department, through the Pollution Adjudication Board (PAB), shall impose a
fine of not more than One hundred thousand pesos (Php100,000.00) for every day of
violation against the owner or operator of a stationary source until such time that the
standards have been complied with.

For purposes of the application of the fines, the PAB shall prepare a fine rating
system to adjust the maximum fine based on the violator's ability to pay, degree of
willfulness, degree of negligence, history of noncompliance and degree of recalcitrance:
Provided, That in case of negligence, the first time offender's ability to pay may likewise be
considered by the Pollution Adjudication Board: Provided, further, That in the absence of
any extenuating or aggravating circumstances, the amount of fine for negligence shall be
equivalent to one-half of the fine for willful violation.
The fines herein prescribed shall be increased by at least ten percent (10%) every
three (3) years to compensate for inflation and to maintain the deterrent function of such
fines.

In addition to the fines, the PAB shall order the closure, suspension of development,
construction, or operations of the stationary sources until such time that proper
environmental safeguards are put in place: Provided, That an establishment found liable for
a third offense shall suffer permanent closure immediately. This paragraph shall be without
prejudice to the immediate issuance of an ex parte order for such closure, suspension of
development or construction, or cessation of operations during the pendency of the case
upon prima facie evidence that there is imminent threat to life, public health, safety or

general welfare, or to plant or animal life, or whenever there is an exceedance of the

emission standards set by the Department and/or the Board and/or the appropriate LGU.
Section 46. Violation of Standards for Motor Vehicles. - No motor vehicle
shall be registered with the DOTC unless it meets the emission standards set by the
Department as provided in Section 21 hereof.
Any vehicle suspected of violation of emission standards through visual signs, such
as, but not limited to smoke-belching, shall be subjected to an emission test by a duly
authorized testing center for this purpose, the DOTC or its authorized testing center shall
establish a roadside inspection system. Should it be shown that there was no violation of
emission standards, the vehicle shall be immediately released. Otherwise, a testing result
indicating an exceedance of the emission standards would warrant the continuing custody
of the impounded vehicle unless the appropriate penalties are fully paid, and the license
plate is surrendered to the DOTC pending the fulfillment of the undertaking by the
owner/operator of the motor vehicle to make the necessary repairs so as to comply with the
standards. A pass shall herein be issued by the DOTC to authorize the use of the motor
vehicle within a specified period that shall not exceed seven (7) days for the sole purpose of
making the necessary repairs on the said vehicle. The owner/operator of the vehicle shall
be required to correct its defects and show proof of compliance to the appropriate pollution
control office before the vehicle can be allowed to be driven on any public or subdivision
roads.
In addition, the driver and operator of the apprehended vehicle shall undergo a
seminar on pollution control and management conducted by the DOTC and shall also suffer
the following penalties:
a) First offense - a fine not to exceed Two thousand pesos (Php2,000.00);
b) Second offense - a fine not less than Two thousand pesos (Php2,000.0)
and not to exceed Four thousand pesos (Php4,000.00); and
c) Third offense - one (1) year suspension of the Motor Vehicle Registration
(MVR) and a fine of not less than Four thousand pesos (Php4,000.00) and
not more than Six thousand pesos (Php6,000.00).
Any violation of the provisions of Section 21 paragraph (d) with regard to national
inspection and maintenance program, including technicians and facility compliance shall be
penalized with a fine of not less than Thirty thousand pesos (Php30,000.00) or cancellation
of license of both the technician and the center, or both, as determined by the DTI.
All law enforcement officials and deputized agents accredited to conduct vehicle
emissions testing and apprehensions shall undergo a mandatory training on emission
standards and regulations. For this purpose, the Department, together with the DOTC, DTI,
DOST, Philippine National Police (PNP) and other concerned agencies and private entities
shall design a training program.
Section 47. Fines and Penalties for Violations of Other Provisions in the Act.
- For violations of all other provisions provided in this Act and of the rules and regulations
thereof, a fine of not less than Ten thousand pesos (Php10,000.00) but not more than One
hundred thousand pesos (Php100,000.00) or six (6) months to six (6) years imprisonment or
both shall be imposed. If the offender is a juridical person, the president, manager,
directors, trustees, the pollution control officer or the officials directly in charge of the
operations shall suffer the penalty herein provided.

Section 48. Gross Violations. - In case of gross violation of this Act or its
implementing rules and regulations, the PAB shall recommend to the proper government
agencies to file the appropriate criminal charges against the violators. The PAB shall assist
the public prosecutor in the litigation of the case. Gross violation shall mean (a) three (3) or
more specific offenses within a period of (1) year, (b) three (3) or more specific offenses
within three (3) consecutive years; (c) blatant disregard of the orders of the PAB, such as
but not limited to the breaking of seal, padlocks and other similar devices, or operating
despite the existence of an order for closure, discontinuance or cessation of operation; and
(d) irreparable or grave damage to the environment as a consequence of any violation or
omission of the provisions of this Act.

Offenders shall be punished with imprisonment of not less than six (6) years but not
more than ten (10) years at the discretion of the court. If the offender is a juridical person,
the president, manager, directors, trustees, the pollution control officer or the officials directly
in charge of the operations shall suffer the penalty herein provided.
 Chapter 7
Final Provisions

Section 49. Potential Loss or Shifts of Employment. - The Secretary of

Labor is hereby authorized to establish a compensation, retraining and relocation program to
assist workers laid off due to a company's compliance with the provisions of this Act.

Section 50. Appropriations. - An amount of Seven hundred fifty million pesos

(Php750,000,000.00) shall be appropriated for the initial implementation of this Act, of which,
the amount of Three hundred million pesos (Php300,000,000.00) shall be appropriated to
the Department; Two hundred million pesos (Php200,000,000.00) to the DTI; One hundred
fifty million pesos (Php150,000,000.00) to the DOTC; and, One hundred million pesos
(Php100,000,000.00) to the DOE.

Thereafter, the amount necessary to effectively carry out the provisions of this Act
shall be included in the General Appropriations Act.

Section 51. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - The Department in

coordination with the Committees on Environment and Ecology of the Senate and House of
Representatives, respectively and other concerned agencies, shall promulgate the
implementing rules and regulations for this Act, within one (1) year after the enactment of
this Act. Provided, That rules and regulations issued by other government agencies and
instrumentalities for the prevention and/or abatement of pollution not inconsistent with this
Act shall supplement the rules and regulations issued by the Department, pursuant to the
provisions of this Act.
The draft of the implementing rules and regulations shall be published and be the
subject of public consultations with affected sectors.
There shall be a mandatory review of the implementing rules and regulations and
standards set pursuant to the provisions of this Act.
Section 52. Report to Congress. - The Department shall report to Congress,
not later than March 30 of every year following the approval of this Act, the progress of the
pollution control efforts and make the necessary recommendations in areas where there is
need for legislative action.

Section 53. Joint Congressional Oversight Committee. - There is hereby

created a joint congressional oversight committee to monitor the implementation of this Act.
The committee shall be composed of five (5) senators and five (5) representatives to be
appointed by the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives,
respectively. The oversight committee shall be co-chaired by a senator and a representative
designated by the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives,
respectively.

The mandate given to the joint congressional oversight committee under this Act
shall be without prejudice to the performance of the duties and functions by the respective
existing oversight committees of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Section 54. Separability of Provisions. - If any provision of this Act or the
application of such provision to any person or circumstances is declared unconstitutional, the
remainder of the Act or the application of such provision to other persons or circumstances
shall not be affected by such declaration.
Section 55. Repealing Clause. - Presidential Decree No. 1181 is hereby
repealed Presidential Decree Nos. 1152, 1586, Presidential Decree No. 984 are partly
modified. All other laws, orders, issuance, rules and regulations inconsistent herewith are
hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

Section 56. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days from the
date of its publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general
circulation.
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