The air in rural areas may be just as toxic as the pollution in cities
Author: Dana Cronin
Traditionally, air quality has been measured by the size of pollution particles or, more scientifically, particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers or less. But a University of Illinois team looked at the toxicity of those particles, scientifically known as the oxidative potential, and found that pollution particles in rural areas can be twice as toxic even though they may be smaller. “The health impacts attributed to these particles in the rural areas is almost the same as in the urban areas,” says Vishal Verma professor of civil and environmental engineering and one of the study’s authors. He argues federal agencies that track air quality, like the Environmental Protection Agency, should use different measurements to paint a more accurate picture of air pollution across the United States.