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Air Pollutants & Toxics

The air we breathe is cleaner now than it has been in decades, but harmful pollution is still a concern.

The federal Clean Air Act lists six common "criteria" air pollutants that pose environmental and health risks. Nearly 200 other listed hazardous air pollutants, also called "air toxics," are known to cause cancer, other serious diseases, and birth defects. The Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) work together to reduce and control emissions of these pollutants from a range of sources.

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Learn About Criteria Air Pollutants  Learn About Greenhouse Gases  Learn About Toxics Air Pollutants 

What you need to know

Acid Rain  Designations & Attainment  Emissions Inventories  Haze & Visibility  State Implementation Plans  Low Emission Vehicles  Transportation & Air Quality  Wood-Burning for Home Heat 

U.S. EPA: Criteria Air Pollutants  U.S. EPA: Hazardous Air Pollutants (Air Toxics)  Indoor Air Quality Program 
Open PDF file, 123.23 KB,  Health & Environmental Effects of Air Pollution (English, PDF 123.23 KB)

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