In the article regulation concept in the field of environmental protection existing in the Russia was considered. Practical implementation of environmental regulation of air, based on the application of maximum permissible concentrations of air pollutants for green spaces, was discussed. A comparative analysis of existing air quality indicators in Russia and in a number of foreign countries was made. The results of calculations of integral indicators of atmospheric air pollution in two large cities of the Russian Federation were presented for a long period. On the basis of the air quality indicators used in Russia (the index of air pollution «IAP» and complex index «P»), an assessment of the environmental situation and its possible impact on the health of the population of the cities were examined. The absence of a close relationship between the values of IAP and index «P» and the incidence of the population was illustrated. The data were given below indicated that the quality of urban air corresponded to the standards established by the EU Directives. Using the long-term data of medical statistics on the primary incidence of the population, the real consequences of air pollution for the health of the urban population were considered. On the basis of the analysis of the total data presented, it was concluded that regulation of air quality based on the reviewed Russian and European standards did not allow us to assess the effects of air pollution on public health. It was considered that to solve the problem of regulation of air quality, it is necessary to have information on the joint action of polluting agents actually encountered in everyday life.