Dioxins Program - What ARB Is Doing About Dioxins
This page last reviewed July 21, 2015
Dioxins in California
What ARB Is Doing About Dioxins
The ARB has taken aggressive steps to reduce the public's exposure to known sources of dioxins and other air toxics. In 1990, the ARB adopted the Dioxin Airborne Toxic Control Measure for Medical Waste Incinerators to reduce emissions of dioxins from medical waste incinerators by 99 percent. At that time, medical waste incinerators were one of the largest known air sources of dioxins in California. As a result of the control measure, the number of medical waste incinerators in the state dropped sharply from about 150 to less than 10.
2,2',4,4',6' - Pentabromodiphenyl Ether
Currently, the ARB is developing a comprehensive air quality monitoring and testing program to collect ambient
data for dioxins, furans, dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and polybrominated di-phenyl ethers (PBDEs)
in California. Under this program, the ARB will evaluate potential health impacts, assess the need for
additional risk management strategies and identify areas where additional study may be required. The program's
components include: the development of the California Ambient Dioxin Air Monitoring Program (CADAMP)
at a total of nine locations in the state (five in the San Francisco Bay Area and four in the South
Coast Air Basin); the testing of potential dioxin-emitting facilities; and estimating the contribution of
dioxins emitted by motor vehicles. The objectives of this program are:
- To assess airborne concentration of dioxins, furans, and PCBs on regional scale in populated areas in the state expected to be impacted by emissions from stationary and mobile sources;
- To improve our inventory of potential dioxin-emitting stationary sources;
- To broaden our understanding of emissions of dioxins and dioxin-like compounds from mobile sources; and,
- To use this information to consider the need for further emission reduction strategies and identify areas where additional study may be needed.
California Ambient Dioxin Air Monitoring Program (CADAMP)
The ARB, with assistance from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District and the South Coast Air Quality Management District, is collecting samples at nine air monitoring sites to obtain data on dioxins and dioxin-like compounds. All of the sites are located in densely populated areas where emissions of dioxins could occur. Air monitoring in both the Bay Area and South Coast began in December 2001 and will operate at each site for three years.
CADAMP Air Monitoring Sites
| Bay Area Sites | South Coast Sites |
| Fruitvale (Oakland) | Boyle Heights |
| Crockett | Wilmington |
| Richmond | Reseda |
| Livermore | Rubidoux |
| San Jose |
Boyle Heights, Wilmington, Fruitvale, and Crockett are also Children's Health
monitoring sites.
Additionally, a U.S. EPA background site on the Marin Headlands at Fort Cronkhite is being operated by the Bay
Area Air Quality Management District to investigate ambient dioxins, furans, and dioxin-like PCBs coming
into the Bay Area.
Stationary and Mobile Source Testing
The ARB has concluded its dioxin testing on two catalytic/thermal
oxidation systems used in soil clean up. Analyses of these twotests are currently underway. These data will
help us understand how these facilities contribute to dioxin emissions in California. ARB will continue to
solicit local air districts and other state and local agencies for dioxin testing to get a better understanding
of dioxin emissions from other types of facilities.
The ARB is also investigating several approaches to determine a way to
estimate the dioxin contribution from motor vehicles, such as cars and trucks.
The information collected from the source testing will help us determine appropriate risk management strategies
to protect public health.