NEW: NBCNews analysis of air pollution levels in the US suggests that the air in many regions contains much higher levels of dangerous matter than the WHO recommends in newly updated guidance.
PM2.5 levels vary by region across the United States, but the national average in 2020 was about 8 micrograms per cubic meter, down from 13 in 2000, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. The WHO’s new guidelines set the recommended level at 5.
“When you inhale these particles, they are able to penetrate deeper into your respiratory system than larger particles,” said Michael Kleeman, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of California, Davis. “Once there, the small particles kick off a cascade of biochemical processes that cause inflammation.”
The U.S. standards, last updated in 2012, are slightly less strict than the WHO’s current – and former – guidance, but the EPA said comparing the two standards is not so straightforward. According to him, this sets the EPA apart from the WHO guidelines, which as the world body notes, are not “legally binding standards,” but a tool for member states.
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