What are air toxics and are they a problem in Oregon?
Air toxics are generally defined as air pollutants known or suspected to cause cancer or other serious health problems. Air toxics may also disrupt reproductive processes, cause birth defects and can cause serious environmental and ecological problems. (Health Effects Notebook for Hazardous Pollutants) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) originally regulated 188 air toxics, also known as hazardous air pollutants, but there have been some changes since 1990. EPA studies indicate that Oregonians are being exposed to certain air toxics at potentially harmful levels. According to EPA’s National Air Toxics Assessment (NATA) using 1999 data to estimate concentrations of 178 air toxics in Oregon, there are 20 toxic air pollutants estimated to occur above levels of concern (levels below which no adverse health effects are expected). The twelve of most concern are: diesel particulate matter; polycyclic organic matter (POM); benzene; acrolein; chromium VI; acetaldehyde; naphthalene; 1
