Until the early 20th century, with the revolution of new science and technology, the popularization of automobiles and the rapid development of modern industrial production such as coal, steel, metallurgy, chemical industry, petroleum, textile and nuclear energy utilization, environmental pollution in developed countries became more and more serious, which eventually led to the destruction of ecological balance and natural resources, frequent public hazards, global deterioration of human living environment, and environmental problems became one of the main social problems of human beings in the 20th century. At this time, the governments of industrialized countries have to use state rights and take compulsory and strict measures to control pollution and protect the working and living environment in order to safeguard national health and ensure the sustainable development of productive forces. One of the most effective measures is to make use of the achievements of preventive medicine, put forward clear and quantitative requirements for the quality of living and working environment necessary for maintaining human survival and health on the basis of scientific data obtained from health and health work practice, and formally promulgate them as part of the national health law, which becomes the legal and scientific basis for adopting other control technologies and management measures. At the beginning of the 20th century, some industrialized countries issued hygienic standards for bacteriology and sensory characteristics of drinking water. From 1930s to 1950s, there were sanitary standards for surface water, atmosphere, radiation protection and various occupational health and safety. Since 1970s, the items of hygienic standards for harmful chemicals and physical factors in the environment have increased rapidly. Some countries have promulgated soil hygiene standards.

Due to the global nature of environmental problems, many international organizations have also begun to formulate international general health standards to promote the unification of health standards worldwide and the formulation of health standards in developing countries. For example, in the 1950s, the World Health Organization put forward the international hygienic standard for drinking water. In the1980s, WHO, the International Labour Organization and the European Economic Community successively put forward the international common occupational exposure threshold.

People's Republic of China (PRC) has promulgated 1955 "Water Quality Standard for Tap Water" and 1956 "Hygienic Standard for Temporary Design of Industrial Enterprises", including the maximum allowable concentration of harmful substances in surface water and atmosphere and the maximum allowable concentration of harmful substances in workplace air. 1960 first issued the highest allowable standard of ionizing radiation; Later, the Food Hygiene Law and Food Hygiene Standards were promulgated. Up to now, China's health standards have formed a relatively complete health standard system with environmental hygiene standards, labor hygiene standards, food hygiene standards, school hygiene standards and radiation hygiene standards as the core contents.

The promulgation and implementation of national health standards played an important role in the global pollution control period from 1970 to 1980. The history of the development of health standards shows that combining the achievements of preventive medicine with national strength is an important way to bring its great social benefits into play.