The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provides air pollution data about ozone and particulate matter (PM2.5) to CDC for the Tracking Network. The EPA maintains a database called the Air Quality System (AQS) which contains data from approximately 4,000 monitoring stations around the country, mainly in urban areas. Data from the AQS is considered the "gold standard" for determining outdoor air pollution. However, AQS data are limited because the monitoring stations are usually in urban areas or cities and because they only take air samples for some air pollutants every three days or during times of the year when air pollution is very high. CDC and EPA have worked together to develop a statistical model (Downscaler) to make modeled predictions available for environmental public health tracking purposes in areas of the country that do not have monitors and to fill in the time gaps when monitors may not be recording data. This data does not include "Percent of population in counties exceeding NAAQS (vs. population in counties that either meet the standard or do not monitor PM2.5)". Please visit the Tracking homepage for this information.View additional information for indicator definitions and documentation by selecting Content Area "Air Quality" and the respective indicator at the following website: http://ephtracking.cdc.gov/showIndicatorsData.action

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