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ANALYSIS OF THE 1996 NATA RESULTS
   
"" Air Toxics of Concern
"" State Maps
"" County Risk Ratio Tables

In order to determine whether the New Jersey air concentrations predicted for the 33 air toxics in USEPA’s1996 National-Scale Air Toxics Assessment (NATA) presented a potential problem for human health, NJDEPcompared them to their chemical-specific health benchmarks. To do this, we divided the modeled air concentration by the health benchmark concentration to get a number we call a risk ratio. If the risk ratio for a specific chemical is less than one, the air concentration does not pose a health risk. If it is greater than one, it may be of concern. The risk ratio also shows just how much higher or lower the estimated air concentration is than the health benchmark.

For more information on health benchmarks, risk assessment, and health effects of air toxics, click here.

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THE 19 AIR TOXICS OF GREATEST CONCERN IN NEW JERSEY

Our preliminary analysis of the state and county average air toxics concentrations generated by NATA indicates that 19 of the chemicals were predicted to exceed their health benchmarks in one or more counties in 1996. 18 of these are cancer-causing (carcinogenic) chemicals, and one (acrolein) is not carcinogenic. Predicted concentrations of these 19 pollutants vary around the state, depending on the type of sources that emit them. This is summarized in the table below. For more information click on point, area, and mobile sources, and background concentrations.

Pollutant of Concern Extent Primary Source of Emissions
Benzene info Statewide Mobile; Background Concentration
1,3-Butadiene info Statewide Onroad Mobile
Carbon tetrachloride info Statewide Background Concentration
Chloroform info Statewide Background Concentration; Point
Diesel particulate matter info Statewide Nonroad Mobile
Ethylene dibromide info Statewide Background Concentration
Ethylene dichloride info Statewide Background Concentration
Formaldehyde info Statewide Mobile
Acrolein info 20 Counties Mobile
Polycylic organic matter info 20 Counties Area
Chromium compounds info 17 Counties Area
Acetaldehyde info 13 Counties Mobile
Perchloroethylene info 11 Counties Area; Background Concentration
7-PAH info 5 Counties Area
Arsenic compounds info 4 Counties Area; Point
Cadmium compounds info 4 Counties Area
Nickel compounds info 4 Counties Area
Beryllium compounds info 1 County Area
Hydrazine info 1 County Area

To view 1990 CEP air toxics of concern click here.

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MAPS SHOWING THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE 1996 AIR TOXICS OF CONCERN IN NEW JERSEY

According to the 1996 NATA results, there were 19 pollutants for which the risk ratios were greater than one, and therefore, of concern. To look at a state map showing the spatial variation in modeled air concentrations for a chemical of concern, click on the chemical name:

  • Acetaldehyde
  • Acrolein
  • Arsenic
  • Benzene
  • Beryllium
  • 1,3 Butadiene
  • Cadmium
  • Carbon tetrachloride
  • Chloroform
  • Chromium
  • Diesel
  • Ethylene Dibromide
  • Ethylene Dichloride
  • Formaldehyde
  • Hydrazine
  • Nickel
  • Perchloroethylene
  • Polycyclic Organic Matter
  • 7-PAH

  • For information about using Health Benchmarks, click here

    To view maps for the 1990 CEP air toxics of concern for New Jersey, click here.

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    COUNTY RISK RATIO TABLES

    To see a table containing the 1996 NATA-predicted air concentrations, health benchmarks, risk ratios, and source category contributions for each of the 33 air toxics analyzed in NATA, click on the state name or county names below.








  • Chemicals with risk ratios greater than one are in blue.
    Chemicals in italics are noncarcinogens. The rest are carcinogens.
    ug/m3 is micrograms per cubic meter, the amount (in micrograms) of a chemical in a cubic meter of air. This is also known as a concentration.
    * 7-PAH is a subset of polycyclic organic matter.
    *** For diesel particulate matter, onroad and nonroad concentrations include a model-estimated background concentration.


         Statewide

    Atlantic
    Bergen
    Burlington
    Camden
    Cape May
    Cumberland
    Essex

    Gloucester
    Hudson
    Hunterdon
    Mercer
    Middlesex
    Monmouth
    Morris

    Ocean
    Passaic
    Salem
    Somerset
    Sussex
    Union
    Warren

    To view the 1996 sources of air toxics in New Jersey click here.

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