What is PM2.5 and the AQI?

Discussion Air quality standards are made, measured and monitored by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) through the Clean Air Act. All potential pollutants are not necessarily monitored. Some of the most commonly monitored and studied are fine particulate matter, ground-level ozone, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and sulfur dioxide. Common fine particulate matter < 2.5 µm (PM2.5) sources include the natural sources of biomass burning, coal burning, road and soil dust, sea spray aerosols, wildfire particles, and volcanic dust. Human sources of PM2.5 include residential cooking and heating, farming, fossil fuel combustion, heavy industry, and smoking. Depending on the location, source and other factors, the PM2.5 can be a mixture of hydrocarbons, organic compounds, heavy metals, minerals, ions and biological material. Studies support both short term and long term health effects of PM2.5 including increased risk of cardiac ischemia and myocardial infarction, arrhythmias, thrombotic events including stroke, exacerbation of asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, viral infections including bronchiolitis and possibly influenza and COVID-19, and neurodegenerative diseases of the brain including Alzheimer’s, and cancer. For children specifically there is impaired lung development, more asthma, and increased risk of preterm birth and low birth weight. Impaired lung development is specifically a problem as “…studies suggest that long...
Source: PediatricEducation.org - Category: Pediatrics Authors: Tags: Uncategorized Source Type: news