The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's AirToxScreen, formerly known as National Air Toxics Assessment, is an evaluation of high priority toxic air pollutants. ATS, is a screening tool developed by the Environmental Protection Agency to understand air toxics in the United States. The purpose of the tool is for state, local and tribal air agencies to identify which pollutants, emission sources and places they may wish to study further to better understand any risks to public health from air toxics.
The previous tool was published every three years. Its final report presented 2014 data. The new ATS system will publish yearly and began by publishing 2017 emissions and risk data for air toxics. The tool is based on modeled data. AirToxScreen factors many things in to determining risk including population density and exposure- how someone experiences the air in their environment.
It is important to note that Oregon has different levels for some toxics that are different from what EPA uses. However, AirToxScreen is reviewed by technical experts at the EPA, consistently updated, and publicly accessible. The ATS assessment gives DEQ a better understanding of the air toxics concerns throughout Oregon, which does not currently have a state-based tool that models Oregon's air toxics. ATS helps DEQ target areas of the state for developing more detailed information and air toxics reduction strategies.
To learn more about this tool and how this tool compares to past tools and similar tools can be found on EPA's AirToxScreen web page.
AirToxScreen Process
The EPA uses four steps to process toxics assessments across the US. For additional information on ATS and EPA methods for toxic assessment, please visit their AirToxScreen web page.
This tool:
- Compiles a national emissions inventory of outdoor air toxics sources.
- Estimates ambient concentrations of air toxics across the United States.
- Estimates population exposures across the United States.
- Determines potential public health risks from breathing air toxics.
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