Health Effects Particles can aggravate existing respiratory and cardiovascular disease resulting in increased hospital admissions, emergency room visits and increases in daily mortality. Decreases in lung function, exacerbation of asthma and alteration in the body's defence mechanisms and lung clearance mechanisms have also been associated with airborne particles. Sensitive subgroups of the population include the elderly, children and people with existing respiratory or cardiovascular disease. Sources Particles are emitted from industrial processes, motor vehicles, domestic fuel burning and industrial and domestic incineration. Volcanoes, bushfires, windblown dust and the oceans are all natural sources of particles.
Particles result from all sorts of combustion.
The current one day standard for PM10 is 50 micrograms per cubic metre. Goal Maximum allowable exceedences for PM10 should be 5 days a year. Visibility reduction to 20 km or below should be 3 days a year.