•What are the
health and environmental effects of toxic air pollutants?
–People exposed to toxic air pollutants at sufficient concentrations and durations may have an increased
chance of getting cancer or
experiencing other serious health effects.
–Both high values and annual means of air toxics concentrations are of interest because some air toxics have both
episodic, short-term health
effects and chronic, long-term health effects.
–Other health effects can include damage to the immune system, as well as neurological, reproductive (e.g., reduced
fertility), developmental,
respiratory, and other health problems.
–Some toxic air pollutants, such as mercury, can deposit onto soils or surface waters where they are taken up by
plants and ingested by animals and
are eventually magnified up through the
food chain.
–Animals may experience health problems if exposed to sufficient quantities of air toxics over time.