Air toxics are substances known or suspected to cause cancer or other serious health effects at elevated levels. An air toxics emission inventory is a compilation of air toxics emission estimates from a wide variety of sources.
The Minnesota air toxics emission inventory includes emissions from three principal source categories:
- Point Sources: typically large stationary sources with relatively high emissions; for example, power plants and refineries.
- Nonpoint Sources: typically stationary sources, but are generally smaller sources of emissions. Examples include dry cleaners, gasoline service stations, and residential wood combustion.
- Mobile Sources: segregated into onroad and nonroad sources. Onroad mobile sources are vehicles operated on highways, streets and roads. Nonroad mobile sources include lawn and garden equipment, construction equipment, aircraft and locomotives.
Air toxics emission inventories for the State of Minnesota are available for 1996, 1997, 1999, 2002 and 2005. With each new inventory, improvements are made in terms of pollutants covered, sources and source categories included, emission estimation methods, and the accuracy of emission estimates. Still, it is important to understand the pollutant categorization and data uncertainties and limitations when using the inventories. Emissions data did not exist for some of the pollutants covered in the emission inventories.
More Information
For more information, please contact:
Ms. Chun Yi Wu at 651-757-2833 or chun.yi.wu@state.mn.us
Mr. Nathaniel Edel at 651-757-2332 or nathaniel.edel@state.mn.us
Related Links
- Minnesota Air
- Great Lakes Regional Emission Inventory
- National Emissions Inventories
- Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) Program
