EPA's Fine Particulate Air Pollution Control Program

This article discusses EPA’s program to control fine particulate (PM2.5) emissions in areas that fail to meet the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). It covers the sources and health effects of both direct emissions of particulate matter and secondary emissions that are transformed into PM2.5 in the atmosphere. It discusses the control of fine particulates from mobile, area, and major point sources. Also discussed are the indirect control of PM2.5 through transportation planning and the program to reduce hazardous air pollutants. The article concludes that controlling PM2.5 and its precursors from mobile sources by the federal government has been successful, but control of these pollutants from area and point sources should be improved