The 1970 amendments to the Clean Air Act required EPA to set National Ambient Air Quality Standards for pollutants hazardous to human health — ozone, carbon monoxide, total suspended particulates, sulfur dioxide, lead and nitrogen oxide. The term “criteria pollutants” derives from the requirement that EPA must describe the characteristics and potential health and welfare effects of these pollutants. It is on the basis of these criteria that standards are set or revised.
CRITERIA AIR POLLUTANT (CAP)
