Talking About Air Toxics John D. Wilson Galveston-Houston Association for Smog Prevention

Unhealthy Air Days: 53 per Year Source: EPA Air Quality Index for the Houston Region, 2000–2003 J 5 10 FM A MJ J AS O ND Average Days per Month Very unhealthy (4) Unhealthy (15) Unhealthy for sensitive groups (34) Warning Level (0-1-0)(1-1-0)

Total Excess Cancer Risk 250 in one million 1000 in one million Industrial Area Sites Urban Area Sites Excess Cancer Risk by Pollutant Diesel Particulates 3 Butadiene 2 Aldehydes PAH 4 Acrolein 3 Acrylonitrile 4 No monitoring site; citizen samples indicate potentially significant risk No published risk value; significant chronic health hazard; one monitoring study Other organics 4 (1-6 totaled, typically near 1) Benzene 1 (4-14, typically near 6) (25-34, typically near 27, including formaldehyde 2, acetaldehyde 2 and crotonaldehyde 3 ) Metals(15-22, including arsenic 1, chromium 1 and others 4 ) (17, one monitoring study) Estimated additional cancer risk if an individual is exposed to pollutant levels for 70 years Risk at “typical” monitoring site Risk at “dirtiest” monitoring site Risk at “cleanest” monitoring site Legend (3-245, typically near 32) ( , typically near 360) 500 in one million 750 in one million

Chronic Disease & Air Pollution Worst pollutants (in order) Acrolein Formaldehyde Arsenic Ozone Diesel particulates Systems threatened (in order) Respiratory Skin and sense-organ Gastrointestinal & liver Cardiovascular & blood Neurotoxicity Developmental Kidney

Fine Particles in Houston GalvestonLa PorteChannelviewClintonAldineConroe Industry Gasoline Diesel Meat Cooking Minor Other / Unknown PM 2.5 (µg/m 3 ) Road Dust Synthesis of various data ( , ). Speciation from Matt Fraser, Rice University. Total PM 2.5 levels from TCEQ. California Standard Federal Standard

New Science on VOCs Industry (75%) Trees, Shrubs, Swamps (8%) Equipment, traffic, etc. (17%) Analysis of TCEQ Air Monitoring Data: VOCs Measured by Potential to Form Ozone (Not Mass)

2000 Estimated NOx Emissions