Gasoline-Related Air Pollutants in California - Trends in Exposure and Health Risk, 1996 to 2014

Jan 24, 2018

This report describes OEHHA’s evaluation of trends in exposure and health risk for gasoline-related air pollutants in California for the period 1996 to 2014. For key pollutants of concern, we applied screening approaches to estimate average gasoline-related exposures over broad regions of the state and associated health risks. The primary purpose of the analysis was to establish a baseline exposure and health risk “report card” for gasoline use in California, which can be used in later evaluations.

Significant findings include:

Emissions of volatile air pollutants from gasoline-related sources declined by nearly 70% statewide since 1996. This decline occurred even while gasoline sales remained steady and California’s population continued to grow.
For the most highly emitted carcinogens, cancer risks associated with average gasoline-related exposures declined by over 80% between 1996 and 2014.

Highlights of additional findings can be found in the one-page brief overview of the report. For complete details on the methods, results, and follow-up recommendations, refer to the full report.