•The Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 define
188 hazardous air pollutants
(HAPs).
–The two terms “HAPs”
and “air toxics” are used interchangeably.
•Air toxics are those pollutants known or suspected to cause cancer or other serious health effects, such as reproductive effects or birth defects.
•Examples of toxic air pollutants include
–benzene (found in
gasoline),
–perchloroethylene
(emitted from some dry cleaning facilities),
–methylene chloride
(solvent and paint stripper),
–arsenic, mercury,
chromium, and lead compounds (e.g., metal processing operations), and
–semivolatile organic
compounds (SVOCs) such as naphthalene (petroleum refining and fossil fuel and wood
combustion).