| ■ Current Carbon Monoxide Standards Protect Health: EPA | 2011.08.15 |
| Current U.S. national air quality standards for carbon monoxide (CO) protect public health and the environment, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. The agency also said that levels of CO in the air have fallen by 80 percent since 1980, mostly due to motor vehicle emissions controls. The current health standards are 9 parts per million (ppm) measured over 8 hours, and 35 ppm measured over 1 hour. CO levels at monitors across the country are well below the standards. CO is a colorless, odorless gas that can harm health by reducing oxygen delivery to the body's tissues and organs, including the heart and brain, the EPA said. Revised air monitoring requirements to be implemented in the next few years will require CO monitors to be placed near roads in 52 urban areas with populations of 1 million or more. This will provide the EPA with data about CO levels that may be affecting the health of people who live in neighborhoods near busy roads. |