The Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards' primary mission is to preserve and improve air quality in the United States. This page is designed to help answer some basic questions about the quality of the air we breathe in the United States. It can cause burning eyes and nose and an itchy, irritated throat, as well as trouble in breathing. Some chemicals found in polluted air cause cancer, birth defects, brain and nerve damage and long-term injury to the lungs and breathing passages. Some air pollutants are so dangerous that accidental releases can cause serious injury or even death.
Air pollution can damage the environment.
Trees, lakes and animals have been harmed by air pollution. Air pollution can damage property. It can dirty buildings and other structures. Some common pollutants eat away stone, damaging buildings, monuments and statues. Air pollution can cause haze, reducing visibility in national parks and sometime interfering with aviation.