Let's face it... the cleaner the air, the better in helping protect our health.
This is, of course, why federal air quality standards have been put in place... to protect Americans from respiratory illnesses. Yesterday the EPA annouced it wants to strengthen the air quality requirement for nitrogen dioxide. Let's look at what this pollutant is and why its important to control it.
Nitrogen dioxide is a chemical compound and air pollutant. Millions of tons are produced each year. This reddish-brown gas is toxic and has a sharp, biting odor. Nitrogen dioxide typically forms from the oxidation of the pollutant nitric oxide with the oxygen in air. Nitrogen dioxide plays a role in the formation of ground ozone... at elevated temperatures nitrogen combines with oxygen to form nitrogen dioxide. This is one of the reasons why so called "smog" is more prevalent in the hotter summer months.
The most important sources of the gas (symbolized NO2) are internal combustion engines, thermal power stations (coal burning), and factories.
The standards have not been changed in 35 years. The annual standard of 53 parts per million (PPM) would hold steady, but the shorter term concentration numbers would be limited bringing additional protection.
The mission of the Environmental Protection Agency is to protect human health and the environment. Since 1970, EPA has been working for a cleaner, healthier environment for the American people.
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