What are the 6 criteria air pollutants

A benchmark for better air quality

These criteria are meant to help evaluate – and eventually act to improve results. The term refers to specific contaminants that serve as key indicators for air quality – and are therefore regulated by agencies. Although these specific contaminants are regulated as part of clean air standards across the globe, the term “criteria air pollutants” refers specifically to US programs under the Clean Air Act.

In the US, the identified pollutants serve as a base for one of the country’s primary regulatory programs under the US Clean Air Act, namely, the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). EPA organizes NAAQS into two types of standards: primary, referring to human health, and secondary, referring to welfare (e.g., environment, livestock, and property) – established for each of the criteria air pollutants.

The 6 criteria air pollutants

EPA determined the criteria air pollutants for evaluating the contaminants that diminish air quality. Since 1978, the list has remained essentially unchanged in the US. And the same pollutants appear as part of similar lists of standards in other regions – namely the EU. Here’s an overview of the 6 emissions that should be on your facilities’ to-watch list:

1. Carbon Monoxide: Carbon monoxide (CO) is primarily emitted by vehicles and gasoline-burning equipment such as generators. CO can also be released as part of various industrial processes, including food, chemical, and metal manufacturing. When inhaled at elevated levels, CO can reduce the amount of oxygen in the blood, which can lead to dizziness and even death. More commonly, CO causes complications for people with heart conditions, including reducing oxygen to the heart and chest pain.
2. Lead: Common sources of this criteria air pollutant include ore and metal processing, waste incinerators, and lead-acid battery manufacturing. Historically, one of the largest sources of lead in the air was the burning of leaded gasoline by vehicles. Lead is a probable human carcinogen and exposure can also lead to developmental effects in children, including lowered IQ.
3. Nitrogen Dioxide, NO_2, like CO, is emitted by vehicles as well as electrical generating equipment and non-road engines that burn gasoline. NO₂ exposure can cause a host of health effects, especially for people with respiratory diseases, such as asthma. Inhaling even small quantities can lead to wheezing, coughing, or difficulty breathing which is severe enough to require hospitalization. Extended exposures can even lead to the development of asthma in healthy individuals.
4. Ground-level Ozone, O₃, is not directly emitted by human processes. However, it is produced by the interaction of nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds, which are common industrial emissions. Exposure to ozone can cause difficulty breathing and damage to the airways. As with other pollutants, O₃ can aggravate asthma and other lung diseases when inhaled.
5. Particulate Matter refers to a broad set of pollutants generally grouped based on the size of the emitted particles. These groups include particles smaller than 2.5 micrometers (PM2.5) and those between 10 and 2.5 micrometers (PM10). Sources of these particles vary but often include farming operations, combustion sources, construction, and various industrial processes. According to the EPA, PM exposure can lead to a host of dangerous health effects including heart attacks and irregular heartbeat, increased respiratory symptoms and aggravated asthma, as well as premature death in people with heart or lung disease.
6. Sulfur Dioxide, abbreviated as SO₂, this criteria air pollutant is primarily emitted by electrical generation sources that burn sulfur-containing fuels as well as metal processing and smelting facilities. Exposure to SO₂ can lead to difficulty breathing, wheezing, and shortness of breath. Even short-term exposures can be associated with hospitalizations for respiratory-related symptoms.

Regulatory activity around criteria air pollutants

While the set of criteria air pollutants stay relatively the same, regulatory activity around them is ever evolving. Much of the regulatory activity revolves around the designation of areas as in either “attainment” or “nonattainment” for the NAAQS for each of the pollutants described above. This is due to their potentially wide-ranging effects on communities, the environment, and regulated industries.

Agencies tasked with issuing air permits in nonattainment areas – that is, areas where the ambient air quality is worse than the health-based primary standards, the welfare-based secondary standards, or both – are required under the CAA to impose tougher controls on sources than those in attainment.

In response to a DC Circuit Court ruling in the final year of the previous administration, the Biden administration’s EPA has proposed expanding the areas throughout the nation deemed in nonattainment for the federal ozone standards. It is expected that they will also propose the expansion of nonattainment zones for other criteria pollutants.

Prioritizing criteria air pollutants in your company.

While reducing emissions from criteria air pollutants is only one way companies are charged with helping to improve air quality – it is a big one. If just starting out at a new facility or making changes to your operations, use this list as a guide of problematic pollutants to check for in your company. Keeping track of the emissions at your facilities as well as the attainment status at your sites can go a long way in meeting your obligations to the surrounding communities and keep you well prepared for when it comes time to renew your air permit.