The EPA Standards of PM 10 and PM 2.5

The air quality in this region is monitored by various methods in a network maintained by the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). The North Idaho monitoring network focuses on particulate matter (PM), one of the six pollutants for which the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has set standards. Currently, the PM standards include two different size categories, PM 2.5 and PM 10. Particles in the air that are less than 2.5 microns in diameter are considered PM 2.5, and are generated primarily by combustion processes. Particles that are less than 10 microns in diameter are considered PM 10. The EPA established the PM 2.5 standard in July of 1997 in an effort to better protect the public's health. Particles of the 2.5-micron size are a health concern because they can bypass the body's natural filtering mechanisms and penetrate deep into the respiratory system. The PM 10 and PM 2.5 standards are important because they provide a way for the monitoring networks to evaluate the impact that the smoke from field burning has on downwind locations.

Learn More about Smoke Management

What is the Idaho Smoke Management Advisory Board?
EPA standards - PM 10 and PM 2.5 - and their significance
How farmers comply with the EPA standards
Why farmers burn their fields
Burning season updates and information
PM 10 level graphs for the North Idaho area
Smoke management research
Contact the ISMAB