The Basics

Air pollution affects all living things. It causes health problems in humans and animals, damages plants, kills fish, pollutes water, eats away at infrastructure, and reduces visibility. It can also lead to acid rain, global warming, and smog.

In the United States, for example, six out of every 10 people live in areas that fail to meet one or more federal air quality standards during some part of the year. Luckily there are agencies, like the United States Environmental Protection Agency, that are looking out for the lungs, leaves, and gills of those who require some clean air! The USEPA sets standards that determine just how bad air is allowed to legally get and then sets a framework to improve air quality.

Currently there are air quality standards set on six criteria pollutants. These standards were established in the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1970. They are based on currently available scientific data and health studies. Levels of concern vary between pollutants. For a complete and easy understanding of the Clean Air Act and criteria pollutants, visit https://www.epa.gov/air/urbanair/ginfo.html.

On this site, air pollutants are divided into two major categories (click on the links to learn more):

1. Criteria pollutants

2. Other (non-criteria) Pollutants

Easy Breathers is focused on air pollution caused by transportation, also known as "Mobile Sources" of pollution. Click on the links below to learn more about...

Mobile Sources in general

Or the two major types of emissions created by mobile sources:
1. Combustion Emissions
2. Evaporative Emissions

Other Sources of Air Pollution
You've probably realized that there are a few things missing here. There are other sources of air pollution besides mobile sources, but since that's what Easy Breathers is really focused on, we didn't have space to talk about things like factory smokestacks and forest fires. To learn about other sources of air pollution, visit the EPA website at https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/about-office-air-and-radiation, or the Wisconsin DNR Web site at https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/.