Airborne trace metal emissions from electric utility generating facilities in the Philadelphia region: Public health risk and environmental policy

his study analyzes the intertemporal variation in the emission of trace metals carcinogens from fossil fuel burning electric power generating facilities in a densely populated urban area, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The public health risk of exposure to these carcinogens over a multi-decade study period is estimated and analyzed to determine the effect of the variation in emissions.;The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is currently attempting to determine whether additional control programs are appropriate for power plants in order to address these risks. In addition, such risk determinations are also relevant in the development of EPA's Clean Air Power Initiative and the development of climate change policy.;The overall conclusion drawn from this study is that the contemporary emissions of trace metal carcinogens from power plants in the United States poses a relatively small risk to public health, and this risk has decreased dramatically in recent decades. Since the risk reduction accompanied a pollution control effort that occurred throughout the country for other pollutants (notably particulate matter and...