title: Assessment of health risks due to hazardous air pollutant emissions from electric utilities.
abstract: Hazardous air pollutant (HAP) emissions from electric utilities were evaluated. Cancer risks, as well as noncancer effects, due to inhalation exposure were assessed for 67 HAPs. Also, cancer risks due to multipathway exposure to radionuclide emissions were assessed. In addition, an assessment of the fate of mercury (Hg) through various environmental media was included. Results suggest arsenic, chromium, and nickel are the HAPs that present the highest cancer risk due to inhalation exposure. For noncancer effects due to inhalation exposure, hydrogen chloride appears to present the greatest potential concern. The risks due to multipathway exposure to radionuclides are estimated to be of similar magnitude to the risks posed by inhalation of arsenic and nickel. Mercury is of potential concern for multipathway exposures because it persists in the environmental and bioaccumulates in the aquatic food web. The study suggests there is a plausible link between Hg emissions from utilities and the Hg found in soil, water, and freshwater fish.
authors.affiliation: U.S. EPA, RTP, NC 27711, USA.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: French
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Peters
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Maxwell
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rice
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Colli
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bullock
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cole
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Heath
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Turner
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hetes
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Goldin
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Behling
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Loomis
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nelson
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001151:Arsenic / Q000009:adverse effects; D002273:Carcinogens / Q000009:adverse effects; D003031:Coal; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D019570:Inhalation Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects; D008628:Mercury / Q000009:adverse effects; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology*; D011210:Power Plants; D011868:Radioisotopes / Q000009:adverse effects; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D002273:Carcinogens; D003031:Coal; D011868:Radioisotopes; D008628:Mercury; D001151:Arsenic