Peru relaxes air quality standards to help mining industry

Peru adopted new and more flexible air quality standards on Wednesday after the old standards were criticised by mining companies and President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski. A decree published by the environment ministry raised the maximum amount of sulphur dioxide, a byproduct of smelting copper and other base metals, that can be emitted to 250 micrograms per cubic metre per 24 hours, from the 20 micrograms per cubic metre previously.