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Introduction to Toxic Air Pollutants
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4. How are people exposed to air toxics?
People are exposed to toxic air pollutants in many ways that can pose health
risks, such as by:
 Breathing
contaminated air.- Eating contaminated food products, such as fish from contaminated
waters; meat, milk, or eggs from animals that feed on contaminated plants;
and fruits and vegetables grown in contaminated soil on which air toxics
have been deposited.
- Drinking water contaminated by toxic air pollutants.
- Ingesting contaminated soil. Young children are especially vulnerable
because they often ingest soil from their hands or from objects they
place in their mouths.
- Touching (making skin contact with) contaminated soil, dust, or water
(for example, during recreational activities in and around contaminated
water bodies).
Once toxic air pollutants enter the body, some persistent toxic air pollutants
accumulate in body tissues. Predators typically accumulate even greater pollutant
concentrations than their contaminated prey. As a result, people and other
animals at the top of the food chain that eat contaminated fish or meat are
exposed to concentrations that are much higher than the concentrations in
the water, air, or soil.
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