QCVN 06:2009/BTNMT

NATIONAL TECHNICAL REGULATION ON HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES IN AMBIENT

AIR

Foreword

QCVN 06:2009 /BTNMT is compiled and submitted by Vietnam Environment Administration,

Science and Technology Office, and Legal Department, promulgated together with Circular No.
16/2009/TT-BTNMT dated October 07, 2009 of the Minister of Natural Resources and
Environment.

NATIONAL TECHNICAL REGULATION ON HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES IN

AMBIENT AIR

1. GENERAL PROVISIONS

1.1. Scope

1.1.1. This Regulation prescribes permissible maximum concentrations of some hazardous

substances in ambient air.

1.1.2. This Regulation is applied to assessment of ambient air quality and supervision of air
pollution.

1.1.3. This Regulation is not applied to assessment of air quality and supervision of air pollution.

1.2. Interpretation of terms

In this Regulation, the terms below are construed as follows:

1.2.1. Average value per 01 hour: the arithmetic mean of values obtained from multiple
measurements over 01 hour or from a single measurement over 01 hour. The mean value is
measured many times over 24 hours with a certain frequency. The highest mean value among the
values obtained over 24 hours shall be compared to the limited value in Table 1.

1.2.2. Average value per 08 hour: the arithmetic mean of values obtained over 08 hours.

1.2.3. Average value per 24 hour: the arithmetic mean of values obtained over 24 hours.
1.2.4. Average value per year: the arithmetic mean of mean values per 24 hours obtained after a
year.

2. TECHNICAL REGULATIONS

Permissible maximum concentrations of some hazardous substances in ambient air are provided
in Table 1.

Table 1. Permissible maximum concentrations of some hazardous substances in ambient air

Unit: microgram per cube meter (μg/m3)

No. Substance Chemical Average Permissible

formula duration concentration
Inorganic substances
1 Arsenic (compounds, As 1 hour 0.03
expressed as As)
Year 0.005
2 Arsenic hydride (Arsine) AsH3 1 hour 0.3
Year 0.05
3 Hydrochloric acid HCl 24 hours 60
4 Nitric acid HNO3 1 hour 400
24 hours 150
5 Sulfuric acid H2SO4 1 hour 300
24 hours 50
Year 3
6 Dust having > 50% silicon   1 hour 150
oxide
24 hours - 50
7 Dust having chrysotile Mg3Si2O3(OH) - 1 thread/m3
asbestos
8 Cadmium (smoke that Cd 1 hour 0.4
contain oxides and metals
8 hours 0.2
– expressed as
Shareholder) Year 0.005
9 Chlorine Cl2 1 hour 100
24 hours 30
10 Chrome VI (compounds, Cr+6 1 hour 0.007
 expressed as Cr) 24 hours 0.003
Year 0.002
11 Hydrogen fluoride HF 1 hour 20
24 hours 5
Year 1
12 Hydrogen cyanide HCN 1 hour 10
13 Manganese and its Mn/MnO2 1 hour 10
compound (expressed as
24 hours 8
MnO2)
Year 0.15
14 Nickel (metals and Ni 24 hours 1
compounds, expressed as
Ni)
15 Mercury (metals and Hg 24 hours 0.3
compounds, expressed as
Hg)
Organic substances
16 Acrolein CH2=CHCHO 1 hour 50
17 Acrylonitrile CH2=CHCN 24 hours 45
Year 22.5
18 Aniline C6H5NH2 1 hour 50
24 hours 30
19 Acrylic acid C2H3COOH Year 54
20 Benzene C6H6 1 hour 22
Year 10
21 Benzidine NH2C6H4C6H4NH2 1 hour NF
22 Chloroform CHCl3 24 hours 16
Year 0.04
23 Hydrocarbon CnHm 1 hour 5000
24 hours 1500
24 Formaldehyde HCHO 1 hour 20
25 Naphtalene C10H8 8 hours 500
24 hours 120
26 Phenol C6H5OH 1 hour 10
27 Tetrachloroethylene C2Cl4 24 hours 100
28 Vinyl chloride CICH=CH2 24 hours 26
Odor-Producing Substances
29 Ammonia NH3 1 hours 200
30 Acetaldehyde CH3CHO 1 hours 45
Year 30
31 Propionic acid CH3CH2COOH 8 hours 300
32 Hydrogen sulfide H2S 1 hours 42
33 Methyl mercaptan CH3SH 1 hours 50
24 hours 20
34 Styrene C6H5CH=CH2 24 hours 260
Year 190
35 Toluene C6H5CH3 Only once 1000
1 hours 500
Year 190
36 Xylene C6H4(CH3)2 1 hours 1000
Notes: NF = Not found
3. DETERMINATION METHOD

The method for determination of air quality indicators shall comply with national standards or
corresponding analysis standards of international organizations:

- TCVN 5969:1995 (ISO 4220:1983) - Ambient air - Determination of a gaseous acid air
pollution index - Titrimetric method with indicator or potentiometric end-point detection

- TCVN 6502:1999 (ISO 10312:1995) - Ambient air - Determination of asbestos fibers - Direct
transfer transmission electron microscopy method.

Corresponding analysis standards of international organizations shall apply to determination of

the indicators that are not regulated by any national standard

4. IMPLEMENTATION 

This Regulation supersedes TCVN 5938:2005 – Air quality - Permissible maximum

concentrations of hazardous substances in ambient air promulgated together with Decision No.
22/2006/QĐ-BTNMTdated December 18, 2006 of the Minister of Natural Resources and
Environment.

When any of the national or international standards referred to in this Regulation is revised or
replaced, the newer ones shall apply.

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