EPA’s Data and Analysis of Piston-engine Aircraft Emissions of Lead at U.S. Airports
On this page:
- EPA’s Data and Analysis of Piston-engine Aircraft Emissions of Lead at U.S. Airports
- Additional Resources
EPA has actively engaged in the investigation of lead emissions from aircraft that operate on leaded fuel (the majority of which are piston-engine aircraft). This data collection and analysis included an evaluation of the concentrations of lead in air at and near airports, as well as the potentially exposed population. This investigation included peer review of several assessments.
The materials provided here describe methods to calculate airport lead inventories, fact sheets on air quality monitoring at airports, a report and fact sheet on model-extrapolated estimates of lead concentrations at airports and estimates of the number of people who live near or attend school near airports.
- Fact Sheet: Technical Update for Reports on the Impact of Lead Emissions from Piston-Engine Aircraft on Air Quality Near U.S. Airports (pdf) (February 2020, EPA-420-F-20-008)
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released two technical reports that provide information relevant to evaluating the impact of piston-engine aircraft operating on leaded fuel on air quality at and around U.S. airports. This fact sheet provides information and relevant background and a short summary of these reports. - Model-extrapolated Estimates of Airborne Lead Concentrations at U.S. Airports (pdf) (February 2020, EPA-420-R-20-003)
This report provides estimated ranges of lead concentrations at and near airports where leaded aviation gas is used. - National Analysis of the Populations Residing Near or Attending School Near U.S. Airports (pdf) (February 2020, EPA-420-R-20-001)
This report provides a national-scale analysis of the number of people who live or attend school within 500 meters (one half kilometer) of airport runways in the U.S. - Fact Sheet: Program Overview on Airport Lead Monitoring (pdf) (199 KB, January 2015, EPA-420-F-15-003)
This Program Summary provides a final summary of the data on concentrations of lead measured at 17 airport facilities in the U.S. - Fact Sheet: Program Update on Airport Lead Monitoring (pdf) (211 KB, June 2013, EPA-420-F-13-032)
This Program Update provided a summary of the data on concentrations of lead measured at 17 airport facilities in the U.S. - Calculating Piston-Engine Aircraft Airport Inventories for Lead for the 2008 National Emissions Inventory (pdf) (737 KB, EPA-420-B-10-044, December 2010)
This Technical Support Document (TSD) provides the methodology used to estimate airport-specific lead emissions for the National Emissions Inventory (NEI). - Development and Evaluation of an Air Quality Modeling Approach for Lead Emissions from Piston-Engine Aircraft Operating on Leaded Aviation Gasoline (pdf) (6.5 MB, February 2010, EPA-420-R-10-007)
This final report presents the results of EPA's study to develop a modeling approach to quantify how emissions from piston-engine aircraft affect ambient lead levels at the local scale. - Memorandum on Selection of Airports for the Airport Monitoring Study (pdf)
Additional Resources
- Final Finding that Lead Emissions from Aircraft Engines That Operate on Leaded Fuel Cause or Contribute to Air Pollution that May Reasonably Be Anticipated to Endanger Public Health and Welfare (pdf) (693 KB, published October 20, 2023)
- Final Finding Fact Sheet:
- EPA Finalizes Endangerment Finding for Lead Emissions from Aircraft that Operate on Leaded Fuel (pdf) (73.4 KB, October 2023, EPA-420-F-23-022)
- La EPA finaliza el hallazgo de peligro en cuanto a las emisiones de plomo de los aviones que utilizan combustible con plomo (pdf) (77.9 KB, October 2023, EPA-420-F-23-025)
- Response to Comments: Finding that Lead Emissions from Aircraft Engines that Operate on Leaded Fuel Cause or Contribute to Air Pollution that May Reasonably Be Anticipated to Endanger Public Health and Welfare Response to Comments (pdf) (4.5 MB, October 2023, EPA-420-R-23-031)
- Proposed Finding that Lead Emissions from Aircraft Engines That Operate on Leaded Fuel Cause or Contribute to Air Pollution that May Reasonably Be Anticipated to Endanger Public Health and Welfare (pdf) (626 KB, published October 17, 2022)
- Fact Sheet: EPA Proposes Endangerment Finding for Lead Emissions from Aircraft that Operate on Leaded Fuel (pdf) (462 KB, October 2022, EPA-420-F-22-022)
- Technical Support Document (TSD) for the EPA’s Proposed Finding that Lead Emissions from Aircraft Engines that Operate on Leaded Fuel Cause or Contribute to Air Pollution that May Reasonably Be Anticipated to Endanger Public Health and Welfare (pdf) (2.8 MB, September 2023, EPA-420-R-23-030)