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3.0 ENVIRONMENTAL CHECKLIST
<br />Pollutant
<br />Major Man -Made Sources
<br />Human Health & Welfare Effects
<br />Increased respiratory symptoms, such as irritation
<br />Particulate
<br />Power plants, steel mills, chemical plants,
<br />of the airways, coughing, or difficulty breathing;
<br />Matter
<br />unpaved roads and parking lots, wood -burning
<br />aggravated asthma; development of chronic
<br />(PMio & PM2.5)
<br />stoves and fireplaces, automobiles and others.
<br />bronchitis; irregular heartbeat; nonfatal heart
<br />attacks; and premature death in people with heart
<br />or lung disease. Impairs visibility (haze).
<br />A colorless, nonflammable gas formed when
<br />Respiratory irritant. Aggravates lung and heart
<br />Sulfur Dioxide
<br />fuel containing sulfur is burned. Examples are
<br />problems. In the presence of moisture and
<br />(S02)
<br />refineries, cement manufacturing, metal
<br />oxygen, can damage marble, iron and steel;
<br />processing facilities, locomotives, and ships.
<br />damage crops and natural vegetation. Impairs
<br />visibility.
<br />Source: CAPCOA 2011
<br />Toxic Air Contaminants
<br />In addition to the criteria pollutants discussed above, toxic air contaminants (TACs) are another
<br />group of pollutants of concern. TACs are considered either carcinogenic or noncarcinogenic
<br />based on the nature of the health effects associated with exposure to the pollutant. For regulatory
<br />purposes, carcinogenic TACs are assumed to have no safe threshold below which health impacts
<br />would not occur, and cancer risk is expressed as excess cancer cases per one million exposed
<br />individuals. Noncarcinogenic TACs differ in that there is generally assumed to be a safe level of
<br />exposure below which no negative health impact is believed to occur. These levels are
<br />determined on a pollutant -by -pollutant basis.
<br />There are many different types of TACs, with varying degrees of toxicity. Sources of TACs include
<br />industrial processes, such as petroleum refining and chrome -plating operations; commercial
<br />operations, such as gasoline stations and dry cleaners; and motor vehicle exhaust. Public exposure
<br />to TACs can result from emissions from normal operations, as well as from accidental releases of
<br />hazardous materials during upset conditions. The health effects associated with TACs are diverse
<br />and generally are assessed locally, rather than regionally. TACs can cause long-term health
<br />effects such as cancer, birth defects, neurological damage, asthma, bronchitis, or genetic
<br />damage, or short-term acute effects such as eye watering, respiratory irritation (a cough), runny
<br />nose, throat pain, and headaches.
<br />To date, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) has designated over 240 compounds as toxic
<br />air contaminants. Additionally, CARB has implemented control measures for a number of
<br />compounds that pose high risks and show potential for effective control. The majority of the
<br />estimated health risks from TACs can be attributed to a relatively few compounds.
<br />Most recently, CARB identified diesel particulate matter (diesel PM) as a toxic air contaminant.
<br />Diesel PM differs from other TACs in that it is not a single substance but rather a complex mixture
<br />of hundreds of substances produced when an engine burns diesel fuel. Diesel PM poses the
<br />greatest health risk among the TACs. It is a concern because it causes lung cancer; many
<br />compounds found in diesel exhaust are carcinogenic. Diesel PM includes the particle -phase
<br />constituents in diesel exhaust. The chemical composition and particle sizes of diesel PM vary
<br />between different engine types (heavy-duty, light -duty), engine operating conditions (idle,
<br />accelerate, decelerate), fuel formulations (high/low sulfur fuel), and the year of the engine
<br />(EPA 2002). Some short-term (acute) effects of diesel exhaust include eye, nose, throat, and lung
<br />irritation. Diesel exhaust can also cause coughs, headaches, light-headedness, and nausea.
<br />Almost all diesel exhaust particle mass is 10 microns or less in diameter. Because of their extremely
<br />City of San Leandro 1388 Bancroft Avenue Project
<br />November 2018 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
<br />3.0-9
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