What are Air Toxics?
Air toxics are chemicals released into the air that are known or suspected to cause cancer, or other serious health problems, such as birth defects or reproductive effects. The federal Clean Air Act, as amended in 1990, lists 188 of these materials, called hazardous air pollutants. California air toxics legislation lists 729 of these substances, referring to them as toxic air contaminants. Some examples of air toxics include: benzene, butadiene, formaldehyde, and hydrogen sulfide.
A Air toxics are a class of pollutants that are impose considerable risk to ecological and human health. There are 188 hazardous air pollutants currently regulated by the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments. For a full report on Air Toxics and their potential sources see the EPA Air Toxics Website. http://www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/pollsour.
“Air toxics” is a term that refers to the 188 hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) listed in the Clean Air Act (CAA) of 1990 that are known or suspected of causing cancer or other serious health effects. The pollutants listed as HAPs include industrial chemicals, solvents, metals, pesticides, and combustion by-products. There is growing concern nationally over levels of hazardous air pollutants in the air. In Vermont we share this concern and have spent the past few years characterizing the air toxics problem. A comprehensive analysis of Vermont’s air toxics pollution is available in the air toxics report. In particular, there are seven air toxics that exceed health-based standards nationwide, including Vermont. This website was designed to help inform citizens about toxic air pollutants and how they affect human health and the environment. How Do We Know There Is A Problem? Here in Vermont we take pride in our beautiful natural surroundings and we want to keep them beautiful. Yet, we take
‘Air toxics’ are a diverse range of air pollutants that are usually present in ambient1 air in relatively low concentrations but have characteristics such as toxicity or persistence that make them a hazard to human, plant or animal health. These pollutants include volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds, heavy metals and others. Air toxics are sometimes referred to as ‘hazardous air pollutants’ to distinguish them from the ‘common’ or ‘criteria’2 air pollutants: carbon monoxide, lead, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, particles and sulfur dioxide. (See fact sheet on National Standards for Criteria Air Pollutants in Australia) Sources of air toxics include: motor vehicle emissions; the products of burning fuels, including woodsmoke; industrial emissions; and materials such as paints and adhesives in new buildings. Air toxics can be a significant air pollution problem in their own right. In addition, a group of air toxics known as ‘reactive organic compounds’ play an important role in the fo
Toxic air pollutants — also referred to as “air toxics” or “hazardous air pollutants” — are substances released into the air that can cause cancer or other serious health effects. They may also damage ecosystems. These pollutants can come from natural sources, as is the case with radon gas. However, they are predominately generated by factory smokestacks, electric power plants and motor vehicles. The federal Clean Air Act lists nearly 200 hazardous air pollutants as targets for clean-up that include heavy metals like mercury and chromium, organic chemicals like benzene, and dioxins. Mercury has been the focus of regulatory activity because of its documented carcinogenic effect, as well as its persistent prevalence in the environment. Since mercury is volatile and readily mobilized, and often travels great distances before being deposited, regulatory concern about the environmental impacts of mercury appear to be quite justified.
