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WHAT TYPES OF AIR POLLUTION ARE TRACKED & HOW?
Information on air pollution can be somewhat confusing because it is collected in different ways by different agencies on both the federal and state level. First, there are different lists of chemicals of concern for both the state environmental authority – the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MADEP), and the federal agency -the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Each of the agencies is tasked with tracking air pollution and does so through multiple reports and tracking methods. For the most part, the data the state collects from air pollution sources is provided to the EPA for their use. However, differences remain in what information is collected, how it is collected and how often, and how the information is made publicly available. In addition, it should be noted that most of the data used by the agencies and thus used by the researchers for this report is a result of facilities self-reporting their quantity of air emissions, or a result of modeling by the respective agency. Very little actual air sampling data is collected to monitor air quality and verify the amounts provided. This project attempts to both de-mystify this process, as well as consolidate all the different information into one understandable report.
WHAT CHEMICALS ARE TRACKED?
Our air can contain anything that evaporates into it, particles small enough to be carried into the air like smoke and exhaust, or new chemicals formed by the mixture of other air pollutants. The following chemicals, or chemical groups are tracked by the EPA and the MADEP:
Criteria Air Pollutants:
Criteria Air Pollutants are six common pollutants that pose enough risk that the EPA has set health-based national air quality standards. The Criteria Air Pollutants are:
- Ozone (O3)
- Particulate matter (PM): PM data is collected based on the size of the particulate matter. The smaller PM has been recognized as an increased health issue since it can bypass the body’s filters and make its way into the lungs. PM is currently tracked as PM10 (10 micron in size) or the smaller PM2.5 (2.5 micron in size)
- Carbon monoxide (CO)
- Nitrogen dioxide (NO2)
- Sulfur dioxide (SO2)
- Lead (Pb)
Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs):
Hazardous Air Pollutants are substances that are known or suspected to cause serious health problems such as cancer.
The Clean Air Act defined an initial list of 189 substances, and the EPA currently identifies 188 HAPs. The list includes relatively common pollutants such as benzene, chlorine, methanol, and asbestos, as well as numerous less common substances. These chemicals can cause cancer, neurological problems or birth defects.
The EPA has identified a subset of the 33 HAPs that pose the greatest potential for adverse health effects to the majority of the U.S. population living in urban areas. These 33 pollutants are called urban HAPs.
Other Air Pollutants:
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
Volatile organic compounds react with nitrogen oxides in the atmosphere to form ozone and thus are often included in Criteria Pollutant reviews as precursors. This category of chemicals makes up a large portion of the 188 HAPs, although not all VOCs are considered HAPs. These individual chemicals are often what you smell in household products or when walking by an industrial facility since they are the chemicals that most easily evaporate into the air.
Ammonia (NH3):
Ammonia reacts with nitrogen and sulfur compounds in the atmosphere, which appear mainly as nitric and sulfuric acids, to form particulate matter and thus is often included in Criteria Pollutant reviews as a precursor.
Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) List:
The TRI toxic chemical list contains 581 individually listed chemicals and 30 chemical categories. This list does include some forms of ozone and lead, but none of the other Criteria Air pollutants. However, many of the chemicals listed are HAPs and/or VOCs.
Toxics Use Reduction (TUR) List:
The list for this Massachusetts-run program includes all the TRI listings as well as any chemical that appears on the EPA’s Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA or "Superfund") list unless specifically delisted by the Administrative Council on Toxics Use Reduction.
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