Résumé
The importance of reducing air pollution concentrations is clear: lower air pollution levels will lead to improvements in public health and exert co-benefits for climate actions. The American Thoracic Society (ATS) has a responsibility as the world's leading medical society dedicated to advancing global respiratory health to advocate for protective air quality standards that reflect the latest scientific understanding of the health risks of outdoor pollution exposures.In the United States (U.S.), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator is responsible for making final decisions in regard to the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for fine particulate matter (PM2.5) as directed by the Clean Air Act. This decision is greatly assisted by technical and policy documents prepared by EPA staff, under the guidance of the Clean Air Science Advisory Committee (CASAC), and for which ATS provided substantive public comments.