What is a Toxic Air Contaminant?
A Toxic Air Contaminant (TAC) is an air pollutant “which may cause or contribute to an increase in mortality or in serious illness, or which may pose a present or potential hazard to human health.” This definition is provided in the California Health and Safety Code (39655). California law requires the Air Resources Board (ARB) to identify potential TACs and thoroughly investigate possible exposure and adverse health effects. The Toxic Air Contaminant Identification and Control Act (AB 1807, Tanner 1983) created the TAC Program. ETS was entered into the identification process in 2001. What steps did the ARB take to identify ETS as a TAC? Numerous health studies have associated exposure to ETS with a variety of serious illnesses affecting children and adults. These associations were reviewed and summarized by the Cal/EPA Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), first in 1997 and then again in 2005. The 2005 health effects summary became part of the ETS TAC identificatio
