WHAT? As part of the US Environmental Protection Agency's revision of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for PM 2.5, we are requesting that monitors be placed near roadways that can speciate the pollutant mixture and provide critical data about the cumulative health effects of PM 2.5 on communities that live, work, and play near our roadways.
WHY? A robust body of scientific research demonstrates that exposure to particulate matter is associated with adverse health consequences, including asthma and heart attacks, strokes, and premature death. Traffic is one of the largest sources of PM and near roadway exposures are of concern to public health. Countless homes and schools in our communities lie within 1,000 feet of a major roadway. Current monitors are purposely sited far from roadways, and most do not specify the chemical composition of particles that breathers are exposed to when near roads, which is critical to fully understanding, documenting, and addressing near roadway impacts. Furthermore, research shows that pregnant women, developing babies and children, low income communities, and communities of color are more adversely impacted and more likely to be exposed to near roadway particles. Near roadway monitors would provide critical data needed to protect public health.
In order to provide solid data on near roadway exposures that can inform decision making on how to protect all individuals, particularly those most vulnerable, we urge you to add near roadway monitors to the revision of the national ambient air quality standard for PM2.5.
