Linkages with other issues

The air issues associated with PM are:

  • Smog (PM, along with ground-level ozone, are the two primary components of smog)
  • Acid Rain (sulphur dioxide(SO2) and nitrogen oxides(NOx) the two pollutants primarily responsible for acid rain, are also precursor pollutants to secondary formation of PM in the atmosphere)
  • Visibility/Regional Haze (PM2.5 is the primary pollutant causing visibility deterioration and regional haze)
  • HAPs (potential adverse health effects from direct exposure to PM make PM a HAP in its own right; other HAPs (e.g. heavy metals such as copper, lead and chromium) often adsorb on the surface of particles and exposure to them can be reduced by reducing PM emissions)