Area source pollution

{{Short description|2D source of pollution emissions}}

{{Short description|2D source of pollution emissions}}

'''Area sources''' are sources of pollution that consist of many smaller emitters that are distributed across a geographic area{{Cite web |title=Overview of Reporting Requirements - Major (MACT) and Area Sources of Hazardous Air Pollution {{!}} South Carolina Department of Environmental Services |url=https://des.sc.gov/programs/bureau-air-quality/air-quality-compliance-monitoring/overview-reporting-requirements-major-mact-and-area-sources-hazardous-air-pollution#:~:text=Area%20Sources%20(Small%20HAP%20Sources,of%20a%20combination%20of%20HAPs. |access-date=2026-03-17 |website=des.sc.gov}}. Examples of area sources include gas stations, dry-cleaners, print shops, autobody shops, furniture manufactures, and home sources such as wood stoves, pesticides, and cleaners. As defined by the [[United States Environmental Protection Agency|Environmental Protection Agency]], to qualify as an area source, the source must emit less than 10 tons of a hazardous air pollutant, or HAP, per year. If the source is emitting numerous HAPs, then the emissions should not exceed 25 tons cumulatively{{Cite web |title=Area Sources {{!}} NC DEQ |url=https://www.deq.nc.gov/area-sources |access-date=2026-03-17 |website=www.deq.nc.gov}}. Area sources contribute to 26 percent of all man-made air toxic emissions according to EPA estimates. Area sources differ from major point sources, for point sources emit over 10 tons of one or over 25 of numerous hazardous air pollutants. These major point sources are one single identifiable emitter, such as power plants and refineries{{Cite web |title=Source Categories |url=https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dep/programs-and-services/air/bureau-of-air-quality/monitoring-topics/toxic-pollutants/source-categories |access-date=2026-04-05 |website=www.pa.gov |language=en}}. Although individual area sources emit small quantities of pollutants, they are spread out across regions and are found in large numbers. This results in a substantial contribution to air pollution.

'''Area sources''' are sources of pollution that consist of many smaller emitters that are distributed across a geographic area.{{Cite web |title=Overview of Reporting Requirements - Major (MACT) and Area Sources of Hazardous Air Pollution {{!}} South Carolina Department of Environmental Services |url=https://des.sc.gov/programs/bureau-air-quality/air-quality-compliance-monitoring/overview-reporting-requirements-major-mact-and-area-sources-hazardous-air-pollution#:~:text=Area%20Sources%20(Small%20HAP%20Sources,of%20a%20combination%20of%20HAPs. |access-date=2026-03-17 |website=des.sc.gov}} Examples of area sources include gas stations, dry-cleaners, print shops, autobody shops, furniture manufactures, and home sources such as wood stoves, pesticides, and cleaners. As defined by the [[United States Environmental Protection Agency|Environmental Protection Agency]], to qualify as an area source, the source must emit less than 10 tons of a hazardous air pollutant, or HAP, per year. If the source is emitting numerous HAPs, then the emissions should not exceed 25 tons cumulatively.{{Cite web |title=Area Sources {{!}} NC DEQ |url=https://www.deq.nc.gov/area-sources |access-date=2026-03-17 |website=www.deq.nc.gov}} Area sources contribute to 26 percent of all man-made air toxic emissions according to EPA estimates. Area sources differ from major point sources, for point sources emit over 10 tons of one or over 25 of numerous hazardous air pollutants. These major point sources are one single identifiable emitter, such as power plants and refineries.{{Cite web |title=Source Categories |url=https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dep/programs-and-services/air/bureau-of-air-quality/monitoring-topics/toxic-pollutants/source-categories |access-date=2026-04-05 |website=www.pa.gov |language=en}} Although individual area sources emit small quantities of pollutants, they are spread out across regions and are found in large numbers. This results in a substantial contribution to air pollution.

==Air pollution==

==Air pollution==

For example, area sources of [[air pollution]] are air pollutant emission sources which operate within a specific geographic area. [[Locomotives]] operating on certain linear tracks are examples of a [[line source]], whereas locomotives operating within a railyard are an example of an area source of pollution, for they are confined to one geographic area. The EPA has identified a list of roughly 70 area sources that are responsible for emitting the most urban air toxics{{Cite web |last=US EPA |first=OAR |date=2019-09-10 |title=National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants - Area Source Standards |url=https://www.epa.gov/stationary-sources-air-pollution/national-emissions-standards-hazardous-air-pollutants-area-source |access-date=2026-04-19 |website=www.epa.gov |language=en}}. A few of these area source standard categories are:

For example, area sources of [[air pollution]] are air pollutant emission sources which operate within a specific geographic area. [[Locomotives]] operating on certain linear tracks are examples of a [[line source]], whereas locomotives operating within a railyard are an example of an area source of pollution, for they are confined to one geographic area. The EPA has identified a list of roughly 70 area sources that are responsible for emitting the most urban air toxics.{{Cite web |last=US EPA |first=OAR |date=2019-09-10 |title=National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants - Area Source Standards |url=https://www.epa.gov/stationary-sources-air-pollution/national-emissions-standards-hazardous-air-pollutants-area-source |access-date=2026-04-19 |website=www.epa.gov |language=en}} A few of these area source standard categories are:

* [[Chemical plant|Chemical Preparations]] Industry

* [[Chemical plant|Chemical Preparations]] Industry

== Environmental and health impacts ==

== Environmental and health impacts ==

Human exposure to most HAPs comes from breathing in air containing them, as well as the ingestion of waters where HAPs have been deposited{{Cite web |last=US EPA |first=OAR |date=2015-12-03 |title=Health and Environmental Effects of Hazardous Air Pollutants |url=https://www.epa.gov/haps/health-and-environmental-effects-hazardous-air-pollutants |access-date=2026-04-05 |website=www.epa.gov |language=en}}. Some toxins may stay in the air and affect populations via inhalation. On the other hand, other HAPs can be deposited into soil and water through precipitation. Some pollutants may later be re-evaporated into the atmosphere, while others remain in the soil or water and may be taken up by plants and animals{{Cite web |last=Toxics |first=Air |date=2021-02-12 |title=Health Risks and Environmental Effects |url=https://www.in.gov/idem/toxic/health-risks-and-environmental-effects/ |access-date=2026-04-18 |website=Air Toxics |language=en}}. This process may lead to the presence of HAPs in the food chain, therefore affecting certain populations via ingestion. There are 30 main chemicals, and these HAPs can enter different body parts, affecting the according bodily functions. What is affected and to what extent is based on the duration of exposure, the amount of toxin in an air sample in the area, and how harmful the chemical is. Exposure to HAPs from area sources of pollution have been associated with many minor and some serious adverse health effects. Some serious health effects that HAPs may cause are cancer, birth defects, and blood disorders. HAPs may also cause immune system, reproductive system, and respiratory system damage. Minor health effects include skin and eye irritation, nausea, headaches, fatigue, and changes in behavior{{Cite web |last=Toxics |first=Air |date=2021-02-12 |title=Health Risks and Environmental Effects |url=https://www.in.gov/idem/toxic/health-risks-and-environmental-effects/ |access-date=2026-04-05 |website=Air Toxics |language=en}}. There are 30 main chemicals, and these HAPs can enter different body parts, affecting the according bodily functions. Certain HAPs have been classified as national cancer contributors, including 1,3-butadiene, acetaldehyde, benzene, carbon tetrachloride, ethylene oxide, and naphthalene. 30 in 1 million people were found to develop cancer due to air toxin exposure. An analysis of EPA data found that ingestion was the more dominant form of exposure over inhalation, with ingestion being the mechanism in which individuals are exposed to over 20% of air toxins{{Cite journal |last1=Huang |first1=Kaixin |last2=Fernandez |first2=Loretta A. |last3=Varshavsky |first3=Julia R. |last4=Eckelman |first4=Matthew J. |date=2025-01-01 |title=Air toxics matter to more than just air |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0269749124020256 |journal=Environmental Pollution |volume=364 |issue=Pt 1 |article-number=125308 |doi=10.1016/j.envpol.2024.125308 |pmid=39547559 |bibcode=2025EPoll.36425308H |issn=0269-7491}}.

Human exposure to most HAPs comes from breathing in air containing them, as well as the ingestion of waters where HAPs have been deposited{{Cite web |last=US EPA |first=OAR |date=2015-12-03 |title=Health and Environmental Effects of Hazardous Air Pollutants |url=https://www.epa.gov/haps/health-and-environmental-effects-hazardous-air-pollutants |access-date=2026-04-05 |website=www.epa.gov |language=en}}. Some toxicants may stay in the air and affect populations via inhalation. On the other hand, other HAPs can be deposited into soil and water through precipitation. Some pollutants may later be re-evaporated into the atmosphere, while others remain in the soil or water and may be taken up by plants and animals{{Cite web |last=Toxics |first=Air |date=2021-02-12 |title=Health Risks and Environmental Effects |url=https://www.in.gov/idem/toxic/health-risks-and-environmental-effects/ |access-date=2026-04-18 |website=Air Toxics |language=en}}. This process may lead to the presence of HAPs in the food chain, therefore affecting certain populations via ingestion. Thirty more common chemicals in HAPs can enter different body parts, affecting the correspnding bodily functions. Functions affected and to what extent depend on the duration of exposure, the amount of toxicant in an air sample in the area, and how harmful the chemical is. Exposure to HAPs from area sources of pollution have been associated with many minor and some serious adverse health effects. Some serious health effects that HAPs may cause are cancer, birth defects, and blood disorders. HAPs that have been classified as national cancer contributors include 1,3-butadiene, acetaldehyde, benzene, carbon tetrachloride, ethylene oxide, and naphthalene. Thirty in 1 million people were found to develop cancer due to air toxicant exposure. An analysis of EPA data found that ingestion was the more dominant form of exposure over inhalation, with ingestion being the mechanism in which individuals are exposed to over 20% of air toxicants{{Cite journal |last1=Huang |first1=Kaixin |last2=Fernandez |first2=Loretta A. |last3=Varshavsky |first3=Julia R. |last4=Eckelman |first4=Matthew J. |date=2025-01-01 |title=Air toxics matter to more than just air |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0269749124020256 |journal=Environmental Pollution |volume=364 |issue=Pt 1 |article-number=125308 |doi=10.1016/j.envpol.2024.125308 |pmid=39547559 |bibcode=2025EPoll.36425308H |issn=0269-7491}}.HAPs may also cause immune system, reproductive system, and respiratory system damage. Minor health effects include skin and eye irritation, nausea, headaches, fatigue, and changes in behavior.{{Cite web |last=Toxics |first=Air |date=2021-02-12 |title=Health Risks and Environmental Effects |url=https://www.in.gov/idem/toxic/health-risks-and-environmental-effects/ |access-date=2026-04-05 |website=Air Toxics |language=en}}

Specific toxins that contribute to air and occupational pollution, such as particulate matter (PM_2.5) can cause and exacerbate numerous respiratory diseases. Worldwide, air pollution has been found to lead to 3.3 million premature deaths per year. This is due to the increase in asthma attacks and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases that PM_2.5 causes. Long term minimal exposure to particulate matter over the course of 8 years has shown to negatively affect lung function development in children. Other toxins such as asbestos cause other conditions such as lung cancer, silicosis, and pneumoconiosis. The typical air pollutants, besides PM_2.5, are gases, hydrocarbons, and volatile organic compounds{{Cite journal |last1=Nishida |first1=Chinatsu |last2=Yatera |first2=Kazuhiro |date=2022-02-27 |title=The Impact of Ambient Environmental and Occupational Pollution on Respiratory Diseases |journal=International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health |language=en |volume=19 |issue=5 |pages=2788 |doi=10.3390/ijerph19052788 |doi-access=free |pmid=35270479 |pmc=8910713 |bibcode=2022IJERP..19.2788N |issn=1660-4601 }}.

Specific toxicants that contribute to air and occupational pollution, such as particulate matter (PM_2.5) can cause and exacerbate numerous respiratory diseases. Worldwide, air pollution has been found to lead to 3.3 million premature deaths per year. This is due to the increase in asthma attacks and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases that PM_2.5 causes. Long term minimal exposure to particulate matter over the course of 8 years has shown to negatively affect lung function development in children. Other toxins such as asbestos cause other conditions such as lung cancer, silicosis, and pneumoconiosis. The typical air pollutants, besides PM_2.5, are gases, hydrocarbons, and volatile organic compounds{{Cite journal |last1=Nishida |first1=Chinatsu |last2=Yatera |first2=Kazuhiro |date=2022-02-27 |title=The Impact of Ambient Environmental and Occupational Pollution on Respiratory Diseases |journal=International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health |language=en |volume=19 |issue=5 |pages=2788 |doi=10.3390/ijerph19052788 |doi-access=free |pmid=35270479 |pmc=8910713 |bibcode=2022IJERP..19.2788N |issn=1660-4601 }}.

== Environmental Justice Considerations ==

== Environmental Justice Considerations ==

Area sources such as municipal landfills, hazardous waste incinerators, and manufacturing facilities contribute a substantial amount to the release of HAPs into the atmosphere, negatively impacting the environment. Data has shown that there are certain populations who are more vulnerable to these toxins due to the co-location of these sources in predominantly rural and poor communities of color{{Cite journal |last=Cannon |first=Clare |date=2020 |title=Examining Rural Environmental Injustice: An Analysis of Ruralness, Class, Race, and Gender On the Presence of Landfills Across the United States |url=https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4sh504td |journal=Journal of Rural and Community Development |language=en |volume=15 |issue=1 |pages=89–114 |issn=1712-8277}}. Area sources contribute largely to climate change and environmental inequality.

Area sources such as municipal landfills, hazardous waste incinerators, and manufacturing facilities contribute a substantial amount to the release of HAPs into the atmosphere, negatively impacting the environment. Data has shown that there are certain populations who are more vulnerable to these toxins due to the co-location of these sources in predominantly rural and poor communities of color.{{Cite journal |last=Cannon |first=Clare |date=2020 |title=Examining Rural Environmental Injustice: An Analysis of Ruralness, Class, Race, and Gender On the Presence of Landfills Across the United States |url=https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4sh504td |journal=Journal of Rural and Community Development |language=en |volume=15 |issue=1 |pages=89–114 |issn=1712-8277}} Area sources contribute largely to climate change and environmental inequality.

Landfills, in particular, have been identified as drivers of global climate change, for they produce methane, increasing the [[Greenhouse gas|greenhouse gas effect]], in which carbon gets trapped in the earth's atmosphere, causing the planet to warm. They generate toxic smells, unsafe water and land conditions, and air, noise, and water pollution{{Cite web |last=Cannon |first=Clare |date=June 13, 2024 |title=Advancing sustainable transitions: A spatial analysis of socio-environmental dynamics of landfills across the United States |url=https://online.ucpress.edu/elementa/article/12/1/00101/201967 |url-status=live |access-date=March 16, 2026 |website=University of California Press}}.

Landfills, in particular, have been identified as drivers of global climate change, for they produce methane, increasing the [[Greenhouse gas|greenhouse gas effect]], in which carbon gets trapped in the earth's atmosphere, causing the planet to warm. They generate toxic smells, unsafe water and land conditions, and air, noise, and water pollution.{{Cite web |last=Cannon |first=Clare |date=June 13, 2024 |title=Advancing sustainable transitions: A spatial analysis of socio-environmental dynamics of landfills across the United States |url=https://online.ucpress.edu/elementa/article/12/1/00101/201967 |url-status=live |access-date=March 16, 2026 |website=University of California Press}}

== Water pollution ==

== Water pollution ==