FIGURE 5
Average A) PM 10 and B) PM 2.5 Concentrations in the Colorado River Basin (CRB) From 2013–2022
A
B
quality affects all PRB residents and pollut- ant concentrations remain elevated despite mitigation efforts, public health practitioners and policymakers in Italy should prioritize further interventions to improve air quality in the PRB. Even though the European Union and Italy regulate the emission of common air pollutants, further collaboration between industry regulators and public health practi- tioners is indicated. During the study period, the annual average PM 2.5 concentration remained below the threshold regulated by the European Union; however, some moni- tors reported a daily average concentration much higher than that recommended by WHO ( Directive 2008/50/EC of the European Parliament , 2008). Therefore, Italian public health practitio- ners must have systems in place to educate residents and mitigate potential health effects during times of high particulate matter con- centrations. The Italian government should implement an air quality warning system (such as those used to communicate severe weather) to alert PRB residents to the health risks posed by periods of poor air quality. In addition to triggering messaging, the alert system should indicate masking recommen- dations. Public health practitioners could
FIGURE 6
Annual Average A) PM 2.5 and B) PM 10 Concentrations in the Colorado River Basin From 2013–2022
A
B
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June 2025 • Journal of Environmental Health
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