Air toxics are generally defined as those pollutants that are known or suspected of causing cancer or other serious health effects, such as birth defects or developmental effects. The Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 require EPA to regulate emissions of 188 toxic air pollutants, including such compounds as benzene, chromium, cadmium, trichloroethylene, and perchloroethylene.
Changes in the amount of toxic compounds emitted into the atmosphere from year to year are the net effect of many factors. These factors include: new air pollution regulations, better emission controls on industrial equipment, changes in the economy and in industrial activity levels, more efficient manufacturing technologies, reducing or eliminating the use of toxic compounds in certain manufacturing processes, improved traffic flow, and better emission controls on automobiles.
Air toxics sampling is conducted at the Health Department site at 1900 East 9th Street North. EPA and KDHE have determined that this site represents typical urban air quality in Wichita.
The Air Quality section has conducted an urban air toxic sampling project since 1989 to measure levels of urban pollution and provide data for trend analysis. Samples are taken every twelve days and sent to our contract laboratory for analysis. EPA sampling and analytical protocols (TO-15) are used to conduct this project. The Air Quality Section and KDHE are currently conducting a trend analysis to see if air toxic levels in Wichita have changed in the type or amount of pollutants in the ambient air over this fourteen year period. For a list of the toxic compounds we measure, check our Air Toxic Sampling Target Compound List.
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