Helping To Meet The Best Air Quality Standards
Pollutants thought to be harmful for the health of the public and environment have got air quality standards prepared for them by the Clean Air Act of 1970 which was last amended in 1990. The Clean Air Act has placed two types of national air quality standards. The two types of air quality standards arranged are Primary and Secondary standards.
Primary air quality standards were arranged to protect public health. The Primary standards take on “sensitive” pollutants such as those that contribute to bronchial asthma and the pollutants risky to youngsters 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 wants the EPA to set up air quality standards for Carbon Monoxide and five other abusive pollutants. The six harmful pollutants that the EPA Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards or the OAQPS has set up 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 prepared because the Clean Air Act requires the EPA to prepare the standards. The Clean Air Act likewise orders the EPA to critical review and update these standards to make sure that they keep to protect the public and the environment as the updates are needed.
The EPA and industry apply 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 as well know if the steps they are running through to improve the air quality standards are efficient.
If the air quality has gone down then both the EPA and the specific industry making the fall will know that they must exchange the way they are attempting to amend the air quality standards.
If the air quality has amended then the EPA and industry can look into what melioration methods can be named as responsible for the specific improvements. After the causative methods have been brought up the EPA can apply these facts to update the standards, laws and regulations so that the improvements can be both preserved and hopefully quickened.
In review, the Clean Air Act has been in use to set up standards for the EPA to arrange and stick with. These standards are regularly verified and updated. As the air quality standards are updated, we acknowledge the level of success our melioration methods are gaining on the air quality around us.
