The ATS applauds the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which today issued a final rule to reduce particulate matter (PM) air pollution. The final rule lowers that annual particulate matter standard from 12 μg/m3 to 9 μg/m3. The EPA has retained the current daily PM standard of 35 μg/m3.
PM pollution, or soot, is a dangerous form of air pollution and exposure of particulate matter can result in a wide range of series adverse respiratory and cardiac conditions including asthma and COPD exacerbations, heart attacks, hospitalization, and premature death. The science is clear, the previous EPA PM standard was not protective of public health.
“A more protective annual standard will save lives, reduce asthma and COPD exacerbations and improve the quality of air for everyone,” says Alison Lee, MD, chair of the ATS Environmental Health Policy Committee. “While I am disappointed that EPA did not go further to address the daily PM standard, today’s action by EPA is important progress and will bring cleaner air to communities across the U.S.”
In addition to a more protective annual PM standard, EPA also issued new threshold levels for the air quality index (AQI), changing the pollution levels needed to trigger yellow, red, and purple air quality alerts. "The new cut points for the air quality index more accurately communicate to the public the real health risks of air pollution exposure and help vulnerable populations more sensitive to the effects of air pollution, such as children or those with chronic respiratory disease, take action to avoid exposure to dangerous air pollution," says Franziska Rosser, MD, member of the ATS Environmental Health Policy Committee.
