The USDataverse US Toxic Substance Release Data (Toxics Release Inventory, TRI), is compiled based on the publicly available information that enterprises are required to report by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It covers the toxic chemical emissions, transfers, and waste management activities of thousands of facilities across the United States since 1987. This database organizes the original TRI reporting system into multiple sub-tables, including detailed tables for on-site emissions and transfers, tables for chemical activities and uses, total tables for waste management and source reduction, detailed tables for on-site waste handling, tables for off-site transfers, tables for wastewater treatment plants, tables for facility and parent company information, and tables for source reduction and recycling measures. The fields provide detailed records of chemical identification information, emission routes, off-site transfer destinations, waste treatment methods, source reduction measures, facility geographical location, and parent company information, providing a systematic and continuous basis of data for tracking the dynamics of toxic substance pollution in the United States.
Data characteristics：
- Comprehensive coverage, rich dimensions：The data includes information on facility infrastructure, chemical properties, emission/transfer quantities, waste treatment methods, source reduction measures, etc., covering dozens of dimensions and with over 500 fields. Emission pathways are subdivided into air, water bodies, land, underground injection, etc., and off-site transfers are classified and statistically recorded by categories such as recycling, energy recovery, treatment, and disposal, along with the information of the receiving party, facilitating in-depth analysis of the entire pollution chain.
- Standardized coding system, facilitating cross-period comparison：All emission pathways, treatment methods, industry codes, chemical classifications adopt the official EPA coding system, and include data revision identifiers, estimation method codes, providing consistency guarantee for data quality assessment and cross-year, cross-facility analysis.
- Integration of multi-source information, constructing a facility-chemical-management correlation network：In addition to core emission data, it also integrates facility registration information, parent company information, public contact persons, geographic coordinates, etc., facilitating the association of emission data with enterprise levels and supporting research on corporate social responsibility and supply chain environmental risks.
- Dynamic tracking of source reduction and waste management trends：A dedicated table for source reduction and recycling measures is set up, recording the emission reduction activities implemented by enterprises, the expected reduction amounts, and the actual recycling/treatment quantities, providing direct evidence for evaluating the effectiveness of environmental protection policies and voluntary emission reduction behaviors of enterprises.
- Regularly organizing public sources and ensuring data accessibility and continuity：The data is cleaned and structured by the system, and users can directly use this database for time series analysis, regional comparison, or industry research, without the cumbersome task of processing original files.
Value of data application：
- Environmental Policy Evaluation and Compliance Research：Scholars can assess the actual effectiveness of environmental regulations by analyzing changes in emissions, transfer volumes, and treatment methods; combined with hazardous material labels, they can identify pollution emission hotspots and provide empirical support for policy formulation.
- Enterprise Environmental Performance Evaluation and Green Supply Chain Management： Investment institutions and non-governmental organizations can summarize the emissions of parent companies and compare the environmental performance of enterprises; by using hazardous chemical labels, they can help enterprises select suppliers and avoid environmental compliance risks.
- Environmental Health Risk Exposure Assessment and Community Actions：Public health researchers can construct exposure models by combining facility locations and emission data to assess the health risks in surrounding communities; community organizations can also use data to promote local pollution source governance.
- Industrial Layout and Pollution Transfer Analysis：Economic geographers can use facility coordinates and off-site transfer data to study the spatial distribution of pollution facilities and the patterns of cross-regional transfer, providing quantitative evidence for regional environmental justice research.
- Technological Innovation and Clean Production Research：The source reduction measures table records the technologies and management practices adopted by enterprises. Researchers can analyze the selection of emission reduction technologies in different industries and their effectiveness, providing case support for the promotion of clean production technologies.
The USDataverse US Toxic Substance Release Data (Toxics Release Inventory, TRI), has been constructed through systematic integration of multiple tables, forming an environmental information repository covering the entire country and spanning over thirty years. Its field design takes into account both regulatory requirements and research needs, providing solid data support for fields such as environmental science, public policy, economics, and business management. Whether it is for tracking the effectiveness of pollution control, identifying environmental risks, or promoting the transformation of green supply chains, this database is an indispensable basic tool.
Time interval
- On-Site Releases and Transfers Details：1987-2024
- Chemical Activities and Uses：1987-2024
- Waste Management and Source Reduction Summary：1987-2024
- On-Site Waste Treatment Details：1987-2024
- Off-Site Transfers Details：1987-2024
- Transfers to POTWs (1987-2010)：1987-2010
- Transfers to POTWs (2011-Present)：2011-2024
- Facility and Parent Company Information：1987-2024
- Source Reduction and Recycling Measures：2005-2024
- Additional Supplemental Information：2010-2024
Field display
Sample data
On-Site Releases and Transfers
Chemical Activities and Uses
Waste Management and Source Red
On-Site Waste Treatment Details
Off-Site Transfers Details
Transfers to POTWs (1987-2010)
Transfers to POTWs (2011-Present)
Facility and Parent Company Inf
Source Reduction and Recycling
Additional Supplemental Informa
Data update frequency
Updated irregularly