Bad air concerns neighborhoods with more than 14.6 micrograms of particulate matter per cubic meter, where the particulate matter particles are smaller than 2.5 micrometers.
According to professor of environmental epidemiology Tim Narwot, the difference is large and “shows that air pollution is really a problem for public health,” he says in the newspaper. It promotes conditions such as asthma and cardiovascular disease. Doctor visits also cost the government a lot of money; the Independent Health Insurance Funds estimate the savings at a potential of 43 million per year.