Topic Areas:
Manuscript Keywords:
Air Pollution, Fact Sheet, Exposure to PM2.5
Community Keywords:
Why is this useful?
This is a useful introduction on air pollution and how it impacts health. Air pollution is suspended particles and gases including carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), nitrous oxides, sulfur dioxide, and ozone. Suspended particles are called particulate matter (PM), which is a mixture of tiny particles and liquid droplets that includes acids, organic chemicals, metals, and dust. PM is measured by size: PM2.5 is 2.5 micrometers (μm) in diameter. For comparison, a human hair is 70μm in diameter.