What Are Air Pollutants?
Hazardous Air Toxics in Cuyahoga County
Mercury Air Pollution
Diesel Pollution
Links to More Information on Air pollution

What Are Air Pollutants?

• The US EPA designates two catagories of air pollutants - common pollutants and air toxics.
• Common pollutants have been measured and regulated through the Clean Air Act since the 1970's and include pollutants such as ozone, carbon monoxide and lead.
• Air Toxics have only recently been identified by the EPA and include pollutants such as mercury and PCBs.
• A summary table for epidemiologic evidence for exposure to outdoor air pollution has been compiled by Don Wiggle, author of, Child Health and the Environment.
• Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA):
  • Ozone State Implementation Plan
  • Particulate State Implementation Plan

Hazardous Air Toxics in Cuyahoga County

Cuyahoga County Air Toxics Emmissions Inventory (2002)

• As Part of the Cleveland Clean Air Century Campaign the EPA prepared a detailed inventory and analysis of sources of toxic air emissions for Cuyahoga County.  Separate inventories were also prepared for the St. Clair-Superior and Slavic Village neighborhoods. 
  • Inventory Highlights
  • Inventory Summary (pdf, 9pgs)
  • Slavic Village, Cleveland, Ohio (pdf, 4pgs)
  • St. Clair-Superior, Cleveland, Ohio (pdf, 5pgs)
  • Full Inventory Report (pdf, 127pgs)

Air Toxics Exposure Modeling for Cuyahoga County

• As part of an analysis of the modeling data from the Cumulative Exposure Project (US EPA) for Cuyahoga County, EHW found 14 air toxics estimated to exceed the cancer benchmark. Mobile air toxics had the highest exceedences of the cancer benchmarks, by far with several exceeding the cancer benchmarks by more than 20 times.

  • Estimating Exposure
  • Slides, Tables and Graph
  • Air Quality Monitoring in Cuyahoga County (Cleveland, Ohio)

Mercury Air Pollution

• In March, 2004 EHW and the National Wildlife Federation released a report showing that alarming levels of mercury in rain falling on Cleveland, levels up to 31 times higher than the levels EPA considers safe. Read the Akron Beacon Journal's Editorial
  • Mercury Press Release
  • Mercury Report (pdf, 15pgs)

Diesel Pollution

• Diesel exhaust is a mixture containing over 450 different components, including vapors and fine particles. Over 40 chemicals in diesel exhaust are considered toxic air contaminants by the State of California. Exposure to this mixture may result in cancer, exacerbation of asthma and other health problems.  Visit the American Lung Association to learn more.

• Ohio Environmental Council's Cleveland Diesel Hot Spots Report

• Diesel Solutions for Ohio - Ohio Environmental Council

• National Partnership to Reduce Diesel Pollution - platform (pdf, 1 pg.)

• The Cleveland Clean Air Century Campaign works to reduce diesel pollution through several projects including Highway Fuel for Off-Road Use, Anti-idling Campaign and Cleaner Diesel Fleets for Cleveland.