The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is required to set National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for six principal air pollutants to provide public health protection. The current annual standard for fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is nine micrograms per cubic meter (μg/m3). Once inhaled, PM2.5 can lead to various health issues in humans, including heart disease, lung cancer, and premature mortality. The current annual U.S. guidelines for PM2.5 are almost twice the levels recommended by the World Health Organization.
The National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) in the United States as of 2024, by pollutant
ppm = parts per million; ppb = parts per billion; μg/m3 = micrograms per cubic meter.
*Primary standards provide public health protection, including protecting the health of "sensitive" populations such as asthmatics, children, and the elderly.
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Environmental Protection Agency. (December 16, 2024). The National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) in the United States as of 2024, by pollutant [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved March 29, 2025, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1446041/air-quality-standards-by-pollutant-us/?__sso_cookie_checker=failed
Environmental Protection Agency. "The National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) in the United States as of 2024, by pollutant." Chart. December 16, 2024. Statista. Accessed March 29, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1446041/air-quality-standards-by-pollutant-us/?__sso_cookie_checker=failed
Environmental Protection Agency. (2024). The National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) in the United States as of 2024, by pollutant. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: March 29, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1446041/air-quality-standards-by-pollutant-us/?__sso_cookie_checker=failed
Environmental Protection Agency. "The National Ambient Air Quality Standards (Naaqs) in The United States as of 2024, by Pollutant." Statista, Statista Inc., 16 Dec 2024, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1446041/air-quality-standards-by-pollutant-us/?__sso_cookie_checker=failed
Environmental Protection Agency, The National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) in the United States as of 2024, by pollutant Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1446041/air-quality-standards-by-pollutant-us/?__sso_cookie_checker=failed (last visited March 29, 2025)
The National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) in the United States as of 2024, by pollutant [Graph], Environmental Protection Agency, December 16, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1446041/air-quality-standards-by-pollutant-us/?__sso_cookie_checker=failed
