Air Toxics
Air toxics are important because they are linked to serious health problems, including various types of cancer, respiratory illnesses, heart disease, and birth defects, and they can cause significant harm to the environment. Air toxics are not regulated by national air quality standards like criteria pollutants, but they pose direct health and ecological risks. Therefore, monitoring and regulating them is essential for protecting public health and ecosystems.
Air Toxics 101
Air toxics (also called hazardous air pollutants or HAPs) include:
- Benzene - found in gasoline, industrial emissions
- Hydrogen Cyanide (HCN) - from combustion processes
- Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S) - "rotten egg" smell, oil & gas
- Toluene - solvent in paints, adhesives
- Formaldehyde - from building materials, combustion
- Ethylene Oxide - industrial sterilization
The EPA lists 187 hazardous air pollutants under the Clean Air Act.
Sources of Air Toxics
Key sources in Colorado:
- Oil and gas production and refining (Suncor, refineries)
- Chemical manufacturing plants
- Vehicle exhaust (mobile sources)
- Dry cleaning operations
- Metal smelting and processing
- Waste treatment facilities
The Denver-Metro/North Front Range area has the highest concentration of air toxic sources in the state.
How Do They Impact You?
Health effects of air toxics exposure:
- Increased cancer risk (benzene, formaldehyde)
- Respiratory irritation and damage
- Neurological effects
- Reproductive and developmental harm
- Immune system effects
Communities near industrial facilities and along the Front Range are disproportionately impacted.
How Is Colorado Addressing This?
HB21-1189 (Air Toxics Act):
- Fenceline monitoring at covered facilities
- Mobile monitoring van (CAT) deployments
- Community-based monitoring programs
Monitoring Programs:
- 7 dedicated air toxics monitoring sites
- MARMOT solar-powered trailer deployments
- ATOPS (Air Toxics and Ozone Precursors) network