The pandemic is putting America’s air pollution standards to the test as the COVID-19 death toll rises.
The U.S. government sets limits on hazardous air pollutants to try to protect public health, but it can be difficult to determine where to draw the line for what is considered “acceptable risk.” Power plants, factories, and other pollution sources release hundreds of million pounds of hazardous pollutants into the air every year.
As the coronavirus spreads, the pattern of deaths suggests there are serious weaknesses in the current public safeguards.
