Taking Toxics Out of the Air

Air toxics are those air pollutants that are known or suspected to cause cancer or other serious health problems. Each year, millions of tons of air toxics are released into the air, mostly from manmade sources. This document describes what air toxics are, where they come from, and how they can impact people and the environment. It also describes the steps being taken by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to reduce emissions of air toxics from major industrial sources such as chemical manufacturing plants, petroleum refineries, and steel manufacturing plants.

Published by the US EPA Office of Air Quality Planning & Standards
August 2000