Approaches to standardization of atmospheric pollution undergoing long-range and transboundary transport

Abstract

The authors consider some possible ways of regulating three types of atmospheric emission of pollutants:

• - emission of substances causing pollution of the natural environment on the global scale (global pollutants);

• - emission of substances causing pollution on a regional scale, most often including territories of several countries (international pollutants);

• - emission of substances causing negative effects in a relatively limited region, for example within border area of two adjoining countries.

Substances (gaseous, as a rule) of a long life-time in the atmosphere that can contaminate natural media on a global scale irrespective of the place of emission refer to the first class of pollutants that are subject to emission regulation at an international level and to quota establishement for individual countries. They are carbon dioxide, freon, krypton-85.

Various approaches to determining permissible emission and to quota establishing are discussed in the paper.

The second group includes substances of a limited, yet rather long, life-time whose emission intensity makes a notable contribution to environmental pollution of a large region including territories of several countries. Here it is needed to regulate internationally not the atmospheric emission as it is but pollutant transport over national boundaries (sulphur and nitrogen oxides, pesticides, heavy metals).

The third group includes substances of relatively short time of life producing local effects. Emission regulation in such cases should be based upon bilateral agreements with due account of countries' mutual interests.