Air Toxics in New England

Polycyclic Organic Matter (POM) Emissions in New England

The term polycyclic organic matter (POM) defines a broad class of compounds that includes the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon compounds (PAHs), of which benzo[a]pyrene is a member. POM compounds are formed primarily from combustion and are present in the atmosphere in particulate form. Not all POM reported to EPA’s National Emissions Inventory (NEI) are speciated into individual compounds.

• See EPA's approach to modeling POM in the 2002 NATA
• See detailed emissions inventory including emissions on POM and PAH compounds