Main pollutants

What are they? Human activities produce, use or handle numerous products likely to affect human health (depending on content and dosage). They are generated by a wide variety of activities –...

Odours

How to tackle the odour issue? Odour nuisance is the second cause for complaint after noise and is perceived as genuine air pollution. These are increasing environmental concerns for local...

Air act (LAURE)

Law on air and the rational use of energy What is it? This framework act, published on 30 December 1996 and integrated into article L220-1 and following of the Environmental Code, aims at...

Regional Plan for Air Quality (PRQA)

What does this consist of? The regional plan for air quality (PRQA) was introduced by the law on air and the rational use of energy of 30 December 1996 and amended by decree 98-362 of 6 May 1998,...

Air Protection Plan (PPA)

What does this consist of? In order to take into account the significant issue of air pollution, European and French public authorities have implemented planning policies to improve air quality,...

Urban Travel Plan (PDU)

What does this consist of? The urban travel plan (PDU) relates to agglomerations of over 100,000 inhabitants and aims at reducing motor vehicle traffic by optimising transport organisation within...

Air quality monitoring

What does this consist of? By virtue of the air act, everyone has the right to breathe air that does not harm their health. Thus, the State guarantees, with help from local authorities, the...

Technique and treatment of many pollutants

Nitrogen oxides (NOx) NOx include nitrogen monoxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). There are other degrees of oxidation but only NO and NO2 play a significant part in air pollution (over 95% of...

Greenhouse gases

The average temperature of the planet has risen by 0.6°C in the 20th century, 0.9°C in France. In the current century, it should increase by at least 1.4°C, up to 5.8°C if nothing is done. This...

CO2 quotas

What does this consist of? The European Union is implementing a greenhouse gas emissions trading scheme with a view to reducing these emissions in the Community in an economically efficient manner....

Volatile organic compounds (VOC)

How to reduce emissions? Volatile organic compounds (VOC) constitute a wide-ranging category of products found in gaseous state or easily evaporated under normal temperature and pressure conditions...

Useful sites

Useful sites ADEME AFSSET (French agency for environmental and occupational health safety) ATMONET BULDAIR EPER (European Pollutant Emission Register) IFEN (French Institute for the...

Air theme in the Regions (French version only) :