Houston in Attainment for PM2.5, Avoids EPA Penalty Threat
Texas air quality may be improving. The Environmental Protection Agency announced recently that it agrees with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality that the Houston area is meeting federal guidelines for a particulate matter known as PM2.5. In heavy concentrations, PM2.5, composed of tiny particles less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter, can be hazardous.
There are three PM2.5 monitors in Houston, but only the Clinton Drive monitor, located in an industrial area near the Ship Channel, showed elevated readings. Electron microscopy showed that a large portion of the Clinton monitor samples consisted of soil and dust particles.