Toxic Air Contaminants

According to section 39655 of the California Health and Safety Code, a toxic air contaminant (TAC) is "an air pollutant which may cause or contribute to an increase in mortality or an increase in serious illness, or which may pose a present or potential hazard to human health." In addition, substances which have been listed as federal hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) pursuant to section 7412 of Title 42 of the United States Code are TACs under the state's air toxics program pursuant to section 39657 (b) of the California Health and Safety Code. The Air Resources Board formally made this identification on April 8, 1993 (Title 17, California Code of Regulations, section 93001).

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Toxic Air Contaminant News

After receiving public comment, OEHHA released a revised draft cancer risk assessment document for ethylbenzene, with proposed unit risk factor.
OEHHA solicited public comments on a draft risk assessment document and proposed unit risk factor for ethylbenzene.
Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) was listed as a TAC because of the numerous health effects linked to exposure including development of asthma, heart disease, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome,…
A comprehensive update of an earlier report first released in 1997 (Cal/EPA, 1997) and later published by the U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI, 1999), describes the public’s exposure to…
OEHHA adopted Chronic Reference Exposure Levels for silica (crystalline, respirable) after approval of its document by the Scientific Review Panel.
OEHHA released a draft document regarding the chronic toxicity for silica (crystalline, respirable), including development of a chronic Reference Exposure Level.
OEHHA adopted a unit risk value and slope factor for naphthalene for estimating cancer risks associated with inhalation exposures.  These values are to be used in the Air Toxics…
OEHHA released a revised draft with unit risk value for naphthalene, which was ammeneded in response to comments received during the comment period.  
OEHHA released a draft document describing development of a unit risk factor for estimating cancer risk associated with inhalation of naphthalene.
OEHHA adopted the WHO97 Toxicity Equivalency Factors (TEFWHO-97) for polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and dibenzofurans (PCDFs), and for dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs…