AIR TOXICS IMPROVEMENTS IN NEW JERSEY SINCE 1990
EMISSION REDUCTIONS REPORTED UNDER
THE COMMUNITY RIGHT-TO-KNOW PROGRAM
NJDEP operates a Right-to-Know
program for collection of chemical inventory, environmental
release, and materials accounting data from certain manufacturing
sectors in the state. This includes reporting of releases
and transfers of toxic chemicals to the environment, which
are contained in a USEPA database known as the Toxic
Release Inventory (TRI). TRI is a source of information
about releases of more than 650 toxic chemicals from manufacturing
and some non-manufacturing facilities throughout the United
States. TRI data from affected New Jersey facilities using,
manufacturing, treating or releasing any of the listed
toxic chemicals are submitted to NJDEP and USEPA on an
annual basis. Although the TRI database represents only
a subset of total toxic emissions, the information can
be used to identify trends in the release of air toxics.
Based upon reported TRI data (see graph below), New Jersey
sources have reduced their total air toxic emissions by
almost 77.5% since 1988.
TRI Air Emissions Trend
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IMPROVEMENTS IN AMBIENT AIR
QUALITY
NJDEP has been operating an air toxics monitoring site
in Camden since 1989. Thirteen of the substances measured
there were included in USEPA's National Air Toxics Assessment
(NATA). Comparing the concentrations measured at the site
in 1996 (the year on which the NATA estimates are based)
to those measured in the same year, we find that the levels
of these 13 pollutants have been substantially reduced.
The graph below shows the change in benzene levels from
1989 to 2000. Similar results have been found at other
monitoring sites in the northeastern United States.
Although the trends at Camden for these thirteen pollutants
is downward from 1996 to 2000, many of them are still
above the NJDEP health benchmarks, indicating that there
is still some work to be done in reducing exposure to
air toxics in New Jersey.
Trend in Measured Benzene Concentrations
at Camden, NJ
Since 1989 Using EPA's AIRS Data
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NATIONAL-SCALE AIR TOXICS
ASSESSMENT FOR 1996
The following table compares the NATA predictions and
the actual measured concentrations for the pollutants
for which 1996 measurements are available. Actual 2000
levels and the amount they've changed since 1996 are also
shown.
Comparison
of NATA Predicted to Measured Levels in Camden, NJ |
Pollutant
(HAP) |
NATA
Predicted 1996,
ug/m3 |
Measured
1996 Level,
ug/m3 |
Measured
2002 Level,
ug/m3 |
Percent
Change in Measured Levels in 1996 & 2002 |
Acetaldehyde |
1.74 |
4.53 |
1.19 |
-73.7% |
Acrylonitrile |
0.003 |
NA |
0.81 |
NA |
Benzene |
2.61 |
2.57 |
1.66 |
-35.4% |
1,3-Butadiene |
0.12 |
0.15 |
0.09** |
-40.0% |
Carbon Tetrachloride |
0.88 |
0.61 |
0.40 |
-18.0% |
Chloroform* |
0.10 |
0.18** |
0.01** |
-94.4% |
1,3-Dichloropropene* |
0.26 |
0.00** |
0.00** |
0.0% |
Formaldehyde |
2.20 |
14.63 |
2.85 |
-80.5% |
Methylene Chloride |
0.83 |
0.61 |
1.49 |
144.3% |
1,1,2,2-Tetrachloroethane* |
0.00 |
0.01** |
0.00** |
-100.0% |
Trichloroethylene |
0.52 |
0.59 |
0.34** |
-42.4% |
Trichloroethylene |
0.29 |
0.09** |
0.02** |
-77.8% |
Vinyl Chloride* |
0.01 |
0.00** |
0.00** |
0.0% |
Notes:
* Measurements for 1996 and 2002 were below detection
limits.
** Measurement fell below detection limits.
Negative values for percent change mean measured levels
went down from 1996 to 2002.
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