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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

Reduce the amount of toxic pollutants released into the environment — EH‑06 Data Methodology and Measurement

On this page:  About the National Data  |  Methodology  |  History

About the National Data

Data

Data Source:  Toxics Release Inventory (TRI), EPA

Baseline: 1,970,088 tons of toxic pollutants were released in 2017

Target: 1,862,612 tons

Numerator
Number of tons of toxic pollutants released.
Target-setting method
Projection
Target-setting method details
Linear trend fitted using ordinary least squares and a projection at the 33 percent prediction interval.
Target-setting method justification
Trend data were evaluated for this objective. Using historical data points, a trend line was fitted using ordinary least squares, and the trend was projected into the next decade. This method was used because three or more comparable data points were available, the projected value was within the range of possible values, and a projection at the 33 percent prediction interval was selected because available evidence indicated that the trend will likely move upward at an average pace due to various external factors, both promoting and impeding growth.

Methodology

Methodology notes

Facilities reporting to TRI were required to submit their data to EPA by July 1 for the previous calendar year's activities. Users of TRI information should be aware that TRI data reflect releases and other waste management activities of chemicals, not whether (or to what degree) the public has been exposed to those chemicals. Release estimates alone are not sufficient to determine exposure or to calculate potential adverse effects on human health and the environment. TRI data, in conjunction with other information, can be used as a starting point in evaluating exposures that may result from releases and other waste management activities which involve toxic chemicals. The determination of potential risk depends upon many factors, including the toxicity of the chemical, the fate of the chemical, and the amount and duration of human or other exposure to the chemical after it is released.

Reference: US EPA Toxic Release Inventory Explorer: Release Chemical Report

https://enviro.epa.gov/triexplorer/tri_release.chemical

History

Comparable HP2020 objective
Retained, which includes core objectives that are continuing from Healthy People 2020 with no change in measurement.
Revision History
Revised. 

In 2021, the original baseline value was revised from 1,939,245 to 1,970,088 tons to reflect a data update for the baseline year. The same target-setting method (projection) was used but the prediction interval (PI) used to set the target was changed from the 50% PI to the 33% PI.