What are the Sources and Types of Air Pollution?
Air pollution includes smog-forming pollutants (criteria pollutants), as well as toxic air pollutants. Cars and trucks (on-road mobile) are the largest sources of air pollution in California. Other sources of air pollution can also contribute to important emissions. Some of these other sources include off-road mobile vehicles or equipment, such as trains, planes, and lawn and garden equipment; various stationary sources, such as large industrial facilities and small commercial businesses; as well as a miscellaneous category of emission sources that includes consumer products like hairspray, paints, and solvent use (area-wide sources). (A sample graph for benzene in an example location is shown for these source categories.) The ARB receives information on criteria pollutants every year as part of the emission inventory, and information on toxic pollutants every four years as part of the Air Toxics “Hot Spots” program. Extensive review and processing of the data, however, may result in a
