Where It Comes From
Manufacturing and combustion (traffic, wildfires, boilers), consumer products (solvents, cleaners, fragrances), building materials, spills, and waste sites [1][3][4].
How You Are Exposed
Breathing indoor/outdoor air, drinking water, eating contaminated food, and skin contact at work or home [1][2][3].
Why It Matters
Effects vary by components; mixtures may contain carcinogens and irritants, and combined exposures can add or interact to increase risk [1][2][5].
Who Is at Risk
Workers around engines/solvents, children, pregnant people, older adults, people with asthma or heart disease, and communities near industry or heavy traffic [1][3][4].
How to Lower Your Exposure
Ventilate; choose safer products; follow labels and PPE; keep smoke out; maintain engines; and use certified water/air filters suited to known contaminants [2][3][6].
References
- [1]ATSDR. Guidance Manual for the Assessment of Joint Toxic Action of Chemical Mixtures. 2004.
- [2]U.S. EPA. Supplementary Guidance for Conducting Health Risk Assessment of Chemical Mixtures (EPA/630/R-00/002). 2000.
- [3]ATSDR. Toxicological Profile for Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs). 2020.
- [4]WHO. WHO Global Air Quality Guidelines. 2021.
- [5]IARC. Diesel and Gasoline Engine Exhausts and Some Nitroarenes (IARC Monographs Vol. 105). 2013.
- [6]U.S. EPA. Guide to Air Cleaners in the Home. 2021; U.S. EPA. Home Water Treatment. 2022.