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TRI National Analysis

Hazard Trend

RSEI Hazard estimates provide greater insight on the potential impacts of TRI chemical releases than consideration of the release quantities alone. RSEI Hazard is calculated by multiplying release and certain transfer quantities by the toxicity weight of the chemicals. The following graph shows the trend in RSEI Hazard compared to the trend in the corresponding pounds of TRI chemical releases that are included in the RSEI model. Modeled releases include on-site releases to air and water, and off-site transfers to POTWs or incineration.

 

Note: For comparability, trend graphs include only those chemicals that were reportable to TRI for all years presented.

From 2007 to 2019:

  • The overall RSEI Hazard estimate decreased by 66%, while corresponding pounds released decreased by 40%. Thus, in recent years, TRI-reporting facilities are not only releasing fewer pounds of TRI chemicals, they may be releasing proportionally fewer pounds of the more toxic TRI chemicals relative to the less toxic TRI chemicals.
  • The decrease in the RSEI Hazard estimate from 2008 to 2009 was driven by a large decrease in chromium releases to air from three facilities.

This page was published in January 2021 and uses the 2019 TRI National Analysis dataset made public in TRI Explorer in October 2020.

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