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TRI National Analysis
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Releases of Chemicals

Helpful Concepts

What is a release?

In the context of TRI, a “release” of a chemical generally refers to a chemical that is emitted to the air, discharged to water, or disposed of in some type of land disposal unit. Most TRI releases happen during routine production operations at facilities. To learn more about what EPA is doing to help limit the release of toxic chemicals into the environment, see the EPA laws and regulations webpage.

ReleasesAny spilling, leaking, pumping, pouring, emitting, emptying, discharging, injecting, escaping, leaching, dumping, or disposing into the environment (including the abandonment or discarding of barrels, containers, and other closed receptacles) of any toxic chemical. [42 U.S.C. §11049 (8)] [40 CFR § 372.3] or disposalAny underground injection, placement in landfills/surface impoundments, land treatment, or other intentional land disposal. [40 CFR § 372.3] of chemical waste into the environment occurs in several ways. Facilities may release chemical waste directly into the air or water or dispose of it on land, or ship (transfer) wastes that contain Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) chemicals to an off-site location for disposal. Release and disposal practices are subject to a variety of regulatory requirements and restrictions designed to minimize potential exposure or harm to human health and the environment.

Facilities are required to report the quantities of TRI-listed chemicals they release into the environment. Evaluating these release data helps to:

  • identify potential concerns in communities,
  • better understand potential risks chemical releases may pose, and
  • identify opportunities for engagement or technical assistance to mitigate potential associated risks.

It is important, however, to understand that the quantity of releases is not necessarily an indicator of health impacts posed by the chemicals. Potential risks to human health from releases of TRI chemicals are determined by many factors, as discussed in the section Hazard and Potential Risk of TRI Chemicals section.

Use the interactive chart below to explore the 2020 TRI chemical releases by industry sector, chemical, or state/territory. Visit the full TRI National Analysis data visualization dashboard to explore even more information about releases of chemicals.

2020 Highlights
  • Facilities released 3.0 billion pounds of TRI chemicals, a 27% decrease since 2011.
  • Air releases decreased 34% from 2011 to 2020, driven by reduced air emissions from electric utilities.
  • 2020 data include data on newly-added per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Facilities submitted data for 43 distinct PFAS.

Note that the 2020 TRI data reflect chemical waste management activities that occurred during calendar year 2020, which may have been impacted by the COVID-19 public health emergency as discussed in the Introduction.

As with any dataset, there are several factors to consider when using the TRI data. Key factors associated with data used in the National Analysis are summarized in the Introduction. For more information see Factors to Consider When Using Toxics Release Inventory Data.


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This page was published in March 2022 and uses the 2020 TRI National Analysis dataset made public in TRI Explorer in October 2021.

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Last updated on March 2, 2022