Environmental Health in Israel | 2014

harm to public health; (b) environmental values which are based on target values but take into account practical achievability; and (c) alarm values whose exceedance, even for short periods, causes or is likely to cause danger or harm to human health.  The MoEP is required to inform the general public about high air pollution levels and provide recommendations for sensitive populations including pregnant women, children, the elderly, and individuals with heart or lung disease.  Industrial plants with a potential for high air pollution emissions are required to obtain emissions permits, based on the best available technologies for reducing emissions, as a prerequisite for continued activity.  The MoEP is required to prepare a National Pollution Reduction and Prevention Program, which will enable compliance with the Israel ambient air quality standards and will aspire to comply with the target values.  The MoEP will enforce penalties against violators of the Israel Clean Air Law who endanger human health. Regulations establishing air quality standards entered into force in May 2011 and updated regulations will enter into force in January 2015. The regulations include environmental values (ambient air quality standards) for 28 contaminants, including PM, gases (criteria pollutants), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and heavy metals. Below is a comparison of the ambient air quality standards for selected criteria air pollutants, in the current and 2015 standards: Current and Future Ambient Air Quality Standards (criteria pollutants) in Israel (µg/m 3 )  Table 1 Environmental Health in Israel 2014  Chapter 1 - 10 - PM 10 PM 2.5 Ozone Nitrogen Dioxide Sulfur Dioxide 24 h Annual 24 h Annual 30 min 8 h 1 h Annual 10 min 1 h Daily Annual 150 60 - - 230 (half hour) 160 200 - - 350 125 60 Current 50 20 25 10 - 100 200 40 500 - 20 - World Health Organization Guideline Values 130 – with up to 18 annual exceedances 50 37.5 - with up to 18 exceedances 25 - 140 - with up to 10 annual exceedances 200 - with up to 8 annual exceedances 40 - 350 - with up to 8 annual exceedances 50 - up to 4 annual exceedances 20 2015 Time Interval