Hazardous air pollutants (also called toxic air pollutants) are pollutants that are known or suspected to cause cancer, birth defects, or other serious health effects or adverse environmental effects. While hazardous air pollutants are emitted by facilities throughout Iowa, the Iowa DNR only monitors hazardous air pollutant concentrations in three locations: Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, and Davenport. We need to develop an effective system for identifying where hazardous air pollutant emissions in Iowa pose unacceptable health risks.

For more information about hazardous air pollutants:

Environmental Protection Agency – about air toxics

[http://www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/allabout.html]

For an introduction to hazardous air pollutants, information about the health and environmental impacts of hazardous air pollutants, and information about federal hazardous air pollutant regulations.

Iowa DNR: Air Bureau – air pollution monitoring

[http://www.iowadnr.gov/air/prof/monitor/monitor.html]

For information about formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, and benzene concentrations in Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, and Davenport. See “Selected Air Toxics Results.”

Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) Program

[http://www.epa.gov/tri/]

For information about sources of hazardous air pollutants in Iowa. According to Toxics Release Inventory data, the Iowa counties with the highest hazardous air pollutant emissions (all over one million pounds) are Woodbury, Lee, Clinton, Louisa, Pottawattamie, Muscatine, and Linn.

Scorecard

[http://www.scorecard.org/env-releases/hap/]

For information about sources of hazardous air pollutants in Iowa and the relative risk to Iowans from hazardous air pollutant exposure.

Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry – Toxic Substances web site

[http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/2p-toxic-substances.html]

For information from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services about the health effects of hazardous substances. See “ToxFAQs” for easy-to-understand information about the health effects of a long list of hazardous substances and “Toxicological Profiles” for further information about each hazardous substance.

Environmental Protection Agency – Health Effects Notebook for Hazardous Air Pollutants

[http://www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/hlthef/hapindex.html]