New Air Quality Standards for Switzerland - Recommendations by the Swiss Federal Commission for Air Hygiene

Switzerland's Environmental Protection Act calls for measures on ambient limit values and air pollution that protect the environment and the health of the entire population, including particularly sensitive groups. Reflecting the WHO recommendations, the statutory mandate, and current levels of air pollution, the Federal Commission for Air Hygiene (FCAH) has assessed the situation.

The FCAH recommends amending the Air Pollution Control Ordinance (OAPC) for six pollutants (SO2, NO2,
CO, O3, PM10, PM2.5) to align the ambient air quality standards with the WHO's revised Air Quality Guideline (AQG) levels.

National and international research over the past 20 years has shown that air pollutants have adverse health effects even at significantly lower concentrations than previous studies have shown. A recent health risk assessment commissioned by the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment revealed that an additional 2'200 premature deaths could be avoided if the Swiss air quality would comply with the WHO AQG 2021. Therefore, more ambitious air quality standards are proposed, promising additional health gains for the Swiss population.