The Environmental Protection Agency issued a final National Ambient Air Quality Standard for particulate matter which retained the current annual standard of 12 ug/m3 and daily standard of 35 ug/m3. The ATS and several other health organizations had recommended a more protective annual standard of 8 ug/m3 and daily standard of 25 ug/m3. “The evidence clearly shows adverse health effects, including premature death, at levels below the current standard. In retaining the current standard, the EPA has ignored this evidence and failed to meet its statutory obligation to protect the health of Americans, especially the elderly and those with chronic diseases, from the dangers of air pollution,” notes Mary B. Rice MD, chair of the ATS Environmental Health Policy Committee.
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Environmental Protection Agency Retains Current Particulate Matter Standard
Environmental Protection Agency Retains Current Particulate Matter Standard
Last Reviewed: December 2020
