Welcome to Air Quality Guide
Outdoor Air Quality Article
. For a permanent link to this article, or to bookmark it for further reading, click here.
Helping To Meet The Best Air Quality Standards
from:Pollutants considered to be harmful for the health of the public and environment have air quality standards set for them by the Clean Air Act of 1970 which was last amended in 1990. The Clean Air Act has set two types of national air quality standards. The two types of air quality standards set are Primary and Secondary standards.
Primary air quality standards were set to protect public health. The Primary standards include “sensitive” pollutants such as those that contribute to asthma and the pollutants dangerous to children and the elderly.
Secondary air quality standards are those set to the welfare of the public. The pollutants included in the Secondary standards include pollutants effecting animals, visibility, buildings, crops and vegetation.
The Clean Air Act requires the EPA to set air quality standards for Carbon Monoxide and five other harmful pollutants. The six harmful pollutants that the EPA Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards or the OAQPS has set standards for are Carbon Monoxide, Lead, Nitrogen Dioxide, Ozone, Particulate Matter and Sulfur Dioxide. These six pollutants are called “criteria” pollutants. The units used to measure these pollutants are parts per million (ppm) by volume, milligrams (mg/m3), and micrograms per cubic meter of air (µg/m3).
These standards have been set because the Clean Air Act requires the EPA to set the standards. The Clean Air Act also tells the EPA to review and update these standards to make sure that they continue to protect the public and the environment as the updates are needed.
The EPA and industry use these air quality standards to inform the public of the air quality in the United States of America. With this information the EPA and industry can also know if the steps they are taking to improve the air quality standards are effective.
If the air quality has went down then both the EPA and the specific industry creating the decline will know that they must change the way they are attempting to improve the air quality standards.
If the air quality has improved then the EPA and industry can investigate what improvement methods can be named as responsible for the specific improvements. After the responsible methods have been named the EPA can use these facts to update the standards, laws and regulations so that the improvements can be both continued and hopefully accelerated.
In review, the Clean Air Act has been used to set standards for the EPA to set and follow. These standards are regularly tested and updated. As the air quality standards are updated, we know the level of success our improvement methods are having on the air quality around us.
Outdoor Air Quality News
Dynamic Air Quality Solutions Supports Asthma Awareness Month - MarketWatch (press release)
Dynamic Air Quality Solutions Supports Asthma Awareness Month MarketWatch (press release) Although pollution and poor outdoor air quality have contributed to rising asthma rates, many are still unaware that indoor air can be two to five times more polluted than outdoor air. Dynamic Air Quality Solutions, a leading manufacturer and ... |
Air-quality warning issued for today - Columbus Dispatch
 10TV | Air-quality warning issued for today Columbus Dispatch By Randy Ludlow Columbus-area residents with respiratory problems and some other health conditions should take it easy outdoors. An air-quality alert, the first of the year, has been issued for today by the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission. Air Quality Action Alert Issued for Saturday, May 19 High ozone levels prompt air quality alert Ozone alert has been issued across area this weekend |
Wenatchee's air may be bad -- but Yakima's worse - Yakima Herald-Republic
Wenatchee's air may be bad -- but Yakima's worse Yakima Herald-Republic Wenatchee's fine particle pollution was worse than the air quality in Seattle, Spokane, Bellevue, Lynnwood or Kent. Redfield-Wilder said air quality has steadily worsened in the Wenatchee area, despite efforts to reduce outdoor burning, ... |
North Carolina farmers should know rules before burning ag debris - Southeast Farm Press
North Carolina farmers should know rules before burning ag debris Southeast Farm Press North Carolina law prohibits most open burning because the smoke from outdoor fires can cause serious health problems and contribute to air pollution. Under state law, DAQ can assess fines up to $25000 per violation. Although farmers may not need a ... Farmers warned about burning debris |
Air quality advisory announced for Clinton, Scott counties - Quad City Times
Air quality advisory announced for Clinton, Scott counties Quad City Times The Department of Natural Resources recommends that residents with respiratory or heart disease, the elderly and children limit prolonged outdoor exertion until air quality conditions improve. The EPA's eight-hour health threshold for ozone is 75 parts ... |