Air Pollution from Nitrogen Dioxide
General information on nitrogen dioxide and TCEQ planning to address the standard for this pollutant.
The SIP files on this page are hosted by the Texas Records and Information Locator (TRAIL) web archive . If you need assistance with a file, please contact siprules@tceq.texas.gov.
- What is nitrogen dioxide?
- Latest air quality planning to address the standard for nitrogen dioxide
- Related webpages and publications
- Get more information on the Texas SIP and contact the TCEQ
What is nitrogen dioxide?
The sum of nitric oxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is commonly called nitrogen oxides (NOx). Other compounds, including nitrous acid and nitric acid, are part of the NOx family. NO2 is the component of greatest interest and the indicator for the larger group of NOx. NO2 forms quickly from emissions from cars, trucks and buses; power plants; and off-road equipment. In addition to contributing to the formation of ground-level ozone and fine-particle pollution, NO2 is associated with a number of adverse effects on the respiratory system.
Latest air quality planning that addresses the standard for nitrogen dioxide
Last updated: 09/19/2023
Infrastructure and Transport State Implementation Plan (SIP) Revision for the 2010 NO2National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS)
On November 14, 2012, the commission adopted the Infrastructure and Transport SIP Revision for the 2010 NO2 NAAQS (Project No. 2012-016-SIP-NR). The SIP revision meets the infrastructure and transport requirements of the federal Clean Air Act (FCAA), §110(a)(1) and (2) under the 2010 NO2 NAAQS. This revision documents how each infrastructure and transport element is currently addressed in the Texas SIP by outlining the requirements in FCAA, §110(a)(2)(A) through (M) and the Texas statutes and rules that allow Texas to meet each requirement.
The comment period was from June 29 through August 6, 2012. The United States Environmental Agency (EPA) submitted the only comments.
2010 One-Hour NO2 NAAQS
On February 9, 2010, the EPA published a final rule in the Federal Register to strengthen the primary NAAQS for nitrogen dioxide, establishing a new one-hour standard at 100 parts per billion (ppb). The new standard focuses on short-term exposures to NO2, which are generally highest on and near major roads. Currently, no area in Texas monitors above the 100 ppb standard. The EPA retained the current annual average NO2 standard of 53 ppb. The EPA changed the monitoring network to capture both peak NO2 concentrations that occur near roadways and community-wide NO2 concentrations. For Texas, near-road NO2 monitors were installed in the Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston-Galveston-Brazoria, Austin-Round Rock, and San Antonio areas between 2015 and 2017. In a February 2018 evaluation of the near-road data, there were no near-road monitors in the United States exceeding the one-hour or the annual standards for NO2.
On February 17, 2012, the EPA published the final NO2 designations identifying all areas in the United States as unclassifiable/attainment ( 77 FR 9532 ). The EPA administrator signed the initial designations on January 20, 2012 and sent a letter to the governor with the announcement.
On April 6, 2018, after a review of the NO2 standard, the EPA decided to retain the primary NO2 NAAQS, without revision ( 83 FR 17226 ).
Related webpages and publications
- EPA General Page on Nitrogen Dioxide
- Primary NAAQS for Nitrogen Dioxide
- Secondary NAAQS for Nitrogen Dioxide
- Complete List of Texas SIP Revisions