Inhalation exposure and risk from mobile source air toxics in future years

Modeling of inhalation exposure and risks resulting from exposure to mobile source air toxics can be used to evaluate impacts of reductions from control programs on overall risk, as well as changes in relative contributions of different source sectors to risk, changes in contributions of different pollutants to overall risk, and changes in geographic distributions of risk. Such analysis is useful in setting regulatory priorities, and informing the decision-making process. In this paper, we have conducted national-scale air quality, exposure, and risk modeling for the US in the years 2015, 2020, and 2030, using similar tools and methods as the 1999 National-Scale Air Toxics Assessment. Our results suggest that US Environmental Protection Agency emission control programs will substantially reduce average inhalation cancer risks and potential noncancer health risks from exposure to mobile source air toxics. However, cancer risk and noncancer hazard due to inhalation of air toxics will continue to be a public health concern.