Understanding the New PM2.5 Standard
What's up, Forsyth?? In this blog post, we will explain an important regulatory change from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that affects the air quality monitoring and forecasting activities of our agency. The Forsyth County Office of Environmental Assistance and Protection provides daily air quality forecasts for fine particulate matter 365 days per year. A New Standard! On February 7 , 2024, EPA revised the primary annual health-based national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS) for fine particulate matter (PM2.5), changing the level from 12 microgram s per cubic meter of air ( μg/m 3 ) to 9 μg/m 3 . EPA periodically reviews and updates NAAQS based on the latest available scientific data and technical information. While the primary annual NAAQS for PM2.5 has become more protective , EPA has not revised any of the other PM NAAQS, including the primary 24-hour PM2.5 standar d of 35 μg /m 3 , for 2024. Watch US EPA Administrator Michael Regan as he signs and