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Title: Analysis of air-toxics emissions, exposures, cancer risks, and controllability in five urban areas. Volume 1. Base year analysis and results

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:5542368

This report is the first phase of a study to define the multiple-source, multiple pollutant nature of the urban air-toxics problem (also known as 'urban soup') and to discern what control measures (or combinations of measures) can best be employed to mitigate the urban air-toxics problem. The report documents the base year analysis, involving dispersion modeling of emissions data for 25 carcinogenic air toxics in five U.S. urban areas and a subsequent exposure/risk assessment to estimate aggregate cancer incidence. Aggregate (multi-source, multi-pollutant) cancer incidence (or population risk) across the 5 cities in this study averaged about 6 excess cases per million persons, ranging from about 2 to 10 in individual cities. The most-important pollutants contributing to aggregate incidence are polycyclic organic matter, 1,3-butadiene, formaldehyde and hexavalent chromium. The most-important sources are road vehicles, comfort and industrial cooling towers, chrome platers, solvent use, and fuel combustion, including wood stoves.

Research Organization:
Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC (USA). Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards
OSTI ID:
5542368
Report Number(s):
PB-89-207161/XAB; EPA-450/2-89/012A
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English