Air Quality Basics

Overview

Visitors reading an Air Quality Wayside Exhibit, Grand Canyon National Park, AZ

Air pollutants can have serious effects on wildlife, vegetation, lakes, streams, soils, and visibility in areas managed by the National Park Service. This is a challenge for the National Park Service in its efforts to manage and protect lands from the effects of air pollution.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, NC/TN

Sources of Air Pollution

Air pollution in National Park Service areas comes from local and far-away sources. These sources can include automobiles, power plants, factories, wildfires, and volcanoes. See our Sources of Air Pollution webpage for more information on air pollution sources and air pollutants of concern.

Effects of Air Pollution

Air pollutants can cause injury to vegetation, impair visibility, and change terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems in National Park Service areas. For more detailed information on how air pollution can impact National Park Service resources, continue on to our Effects webpage.

Legal Background

The National Park Service has responsibilities under the NPS Organic Act and the Clean Air Act to protect air quality and resources in the National Parks. Please continue on to our Legal Background webpage for more information about these legal responsibilities.