The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is required to set National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for six principal air pollutants to provide public health protection. The current annual standard for fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is 12 micrograms per cubic meter (μg/m3). Once inhaled, PM2.5 can lead to various health issues in humans, including heart disease, lung cancer, and premature mortality. The current annual U.S. guidelines for PM2.5 are more than twice the levels recommended by the World Health Organization.
The National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) in the United States as of 2023, by pollutant
ppm = parts per million; ppb = parts per billion; μg/m3 = micrograms per cubic meter.
*Primary standards provide public health protection, including protecting the health of "sensitive" populations such as asthmatics, children, and the elderly.
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Environmental Protection Agency. (March 15, 2023). The National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) in the United States as of 2023, by pollutant [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved December 21, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1446041/air-quality-standards-by-pollutant-us/
Environmental Protection Agency. "The National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) in the United States as of 2023, by pollutant." Chart. March 15, 2023. Statista. Accessed December 21, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1446041/air-quality-standards-by-pollutant-us/
Environmental Protection Agency. (2023). The National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) in the United States as of 2023, by pollutant. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: December 21, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1446041/air-quality-standards-by-pollutant-us/
Environmental Protection Agency. "The National Ambient Air Quality Standards (Naaqs) in The United States as of 2023, by Pollutant." Statista, Statista Inc., 15 Mar 2023, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1446041/air-quality-standards-by-pollutant-us/
Environmental Protection Agency, The National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) in the United States as of 2023, by pollutant Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1446041/air-quality-standards-by-pollutant-us/ (last visited December 21, 2024)
The National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) in the United States as of 2023, by pollutant [Graph], Environmental Protection Agency, March 15, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1446041/air-quality-standards-by-pollutant-us/
