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Chapter 19: Problem 11

What are the criteria pollutants and the National Ambient Air Quality Standards, and how are the standards used?

Short Answer

Expert verified
Criteria pollutants are a set of air pollutants that causes various environmental and health hazards. The National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) are environmental regulations set by the EPA to regulate the emission of these pollutants. The standards are used to monitor and control the presence of these pollutants in the air, with the goal of protecting both public health and welfare.

Step by step solution

01

Understand Criteria Pollutants

Criteria pollutants are a set of air pollutants that cause smog, acid rain, and other health hazards. These are the pollutants that the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates using the Clean Air Act. The six criteria pollutants are: ground-level ozone, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, lead, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide.
02

Understand the National Ambient Air Quality Standards

The National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) are environmental standards established by the United States Environmental Protection Agency under the authority of the Clean Air Act. The NAAQS are standards for outdoor (ambient) air that are meant to protect public health and public welfare from harmful effects of pollutants.
03

Explain how the Standards are Used

The NAAQS are used by the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate the emission of criteria pollutants. The standards are divided into two categories: primary standards, which are designed to protect human health, particularly for sensitive populations such as children and the elderly; and secondary standards, which are intended to protect public welfare, including protection against decreased visibility, damage to animals, crops, and buildings. The aim is to monitor and control the presence of these pollutants in the air.

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