What is the primary purpose of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)?

The primary purpose of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) is to protect public health. Established under the Clean Air Act, NAAQS sets limits on the concentration of specific air pollutants in the atmosphere, ensuring that air quality is maintained at levels that safeguard human health and the environment. The standards focus on various criteria pollutants, such as ozone, particulate matter, and carbon monoxide, which have been shown to pose health risks when present in excessive amounts.

While protecting the environment is also an important consideration, the NAAQS specifically prioritizes health outcomes by ensuring that the air we breathe does not contain hazardous levels of these pollutants. Thus, meeting these standards directly contributes to reducing health disparities and preventing respiratory diseases, cardiovascular problems, and other health issues linked to poor air quality.

Regulating emissions from industries and monitoring climatic changes are certainly relevant to broader environmental policies, but they do not capture the fundamental aim of NAAQS, which is centered around the protection of human health from the adverse effects of air pollution.