The Environmental Protection Agency ( EPA ) hasdecidedit will end a scientific revaluation dialog box that advise the agency on safety and wellness standards surround sure kinds of air pollution .

Made up of doctors , investigator , and other experts , the 20 - soul Particulate Matter Review Panel work to cater guidelines on particulate affair ( postmortem examination ) – flyspeck whole particles find in the atmosphere , such as soot – known to make respiratory and other health issues . The panel will be replaced by the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee ( CASAC ) , a seven - member group found in 1977 under theClean Air Actto address “ research related to air quality , source of strain pollution , and the strategies to gain and maintain air calibre standards . ” CASAC will be lawfully required to advise the EPA administrator on caliber standards beginning in 2019 .

In an emailed affirmation , the EPA confirmed to IFLScience that the reappraisal dialog box was not listed to continue   in 2019 .

“ reproducible with the Clean Air Act and CASAC ’s charter , Acting Administrator Wheeler tasked the seven - appendage chartered CASAC to serve as the organic structure to review key science assessments for the ongoing inspection of the particulate matter matter and ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards ( NAAQS ) , ” an EPA spokesperson told IFLScience .

At the fourth dimension of publication , IFLScience did not pick up a follow - up reaction from the EPA about what prompted the decisiveness or how CASAC   will take issue from the old review panel .

Under NAAQS , the EPA must revisit and propose on six air standards every yr , including make guidelines on C monoxide , particulate matter matter , N oxides , S dioxide , booster cable , and ozone . The Union of Concerned Scientists voice its business concern in ablog post , compose that the removal of the control board is a “ break with how the agency has always done things . ”   The oeuvre of the venire is not required by law to furnish expertise on particulate matter matter , according to theNew York Times , and critics of the movesayreducing the 20 - individual control panel to just a hand - picked few will limit its width of expertise .

“ By nixing these panels , the EPA would be cut off vital expertness it needs to get the science mighty on the health effect of pollutant , ” the organization wrote .

Andrew Wheeler , the EPA ’s act administrator , said he stands by the decision in a assertion announcing five replacements that will apprize on NAAQS .   “ These experts will bring home the bacon critical scientific advice to EPA as it evaluates where to set home standards for key pollutant like ozone and particulate issue , ”   hesaid .

Under aPresidential Memorandumlast April , the EPA laid out rule to rectify the cognitive operation for set NAAQS , which included differentiating “ scientific discipline and insurance considerations in the NAAQS review cognitive process ” and publish “ timely implementation dominion of guidance postdate [ their ] revise . ”

Air pollution has long been known as a perpetrator behind asthma and other respiratory issues . Recent research indicate links to other health concern , includingdementiaandmouth cancerrisk , and has been shown to cross into a mother’splacentavia the blood stream .