Toxic Releases from Facilities
Exposure Indicator
Models toxic chemical releases from industrial facilities into the air—exposures linked to higher rates of cardiovascular disease and overall mortality.
What are toxic releases?
Facilities that make or use toxic chemicals can release these chemicals into the air. Information is available on the amount of chemicals released for over 500 chemicals from large facilities across the United States. People of color and low-income Californians are more likely to live in areas with higher toxic chemical releases.
Why is it included in CalEnviroScreen?
- Chemicals released by facilities are sometimes detected in the air of nearby communities.
- People living near facilities may breathe contaminated air regularly or if contaminants are released during an accident.
- Studies have found that increased chemical releases into the air are associated with higher total mortality as well as mortality from cardiovascular disease.
How is it measured?
- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) provides public information on the amount of chemicals released into the environment from many facilities through the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI).
- U.S. EPA's Risk Screening Environmental Indicators (RSEI) tool was used to model how air releases from TRI facilities for 2021–2023 disperse in the environment, taking into account weather conditions, landscape, and chemical toxicity.
- Releases from facilities in Mexico near the US-Mexico border were also included, using data from Mexico's Registry of Emissions and Transfer of Contaminants (RETC).
