City · TRI 2024

Arlington Heights, Illinois Pollution

0 TRI facilities inside the city limits and 1 public water system serving residents.

FIPS 1702154 · population 76,794 · Cook County

Anomaly engine

Notable Signals

UNRESOLVED VIOLATION · SDWIS VIOLATION

Contaminant 7000

Unresolved Phase I/II/V Synthetic Organic Chemical Rules violation cited in 2025 (contaminant 7000).

EPA SDWIS record

UNRESOLVED VIOLATION · SDWIS VIOLATION

Contaminant 2976

Unresolved Arsenic Rule violation cited in 2024 (contaminant 2976).

EPA SDWIS record

Pollutant pathways

Arlington Heights Pollutant Multi-Year Trends

CRITERIA AIRSINCE 2010

PM2.5 annual mean (NAAQS 9 µg/m³ (annual))Health riskFine inhalable particles 2.5 micrometers or smaller. They travel deep into the lungs and into the bloodstream — linked to asthma, heart disease, stroke, and premature death.

7.59 µg/m³ · -27% YoY · -55% since 2010

PM2.5 annual mean (NAAQS 9 µg/m³ (annual)) concentrations have more than halved since 2010.

CRITERIA AIRSINCE 2010

PM2.5 24-hour 98th percentile (NAAQS 35 µg/m³ (24-hour))Health riskFine inhalable particles 2.5 micrometers or smaller. They travel deep into the lungs and into the bloodstream — linked to asthma, heart disease, stroke, and premature death.

17.45 µg/m³ · -37% YoY · -53% since 2010

PM2.5 24-hour 98th percentile (NAAQS 35 µg/m³ (24-hour)) concentrations have more than halved since 2010.

CRITERIA AIRSINCE 2010

Ozone 8-hour 4th-highest daily max (NAAQS 0.070 ppm (8-hour))Health riskGround-level ozone (smog) forms when vehicle and industrial emissions react in sunlight. Inflames the airways, triggers asthma attacks, and worsens heart and lung disease.

0.068 ppm · -16% YoY · +2% since 2010

Ozone 8-hour 4th-highest daily max (NAAQS 0.070 ppm (8-hour)) concentrations are roughly unchanged from 2010.

CRITERIA AIRSINCE 2010

NO₂ annual mean (NAAQS 53 ppb (annual))Health riskA tailpipe and combustion gas. Concentrates near busy roads and industrial sites; raises risk of airway inflammation, asthma, and lower respiratory infections in children.

13.5 ppb · -5% YoY · -43% since 2010

NO₂ annual mean (NAAQS 53 ppb (annual)) concentrations have fallen 43% since 2010.

HAZARDOUS AIR2020 VINTAGE

Lifetime cancer risk all pollutants (100 in a million (EPA elevated threshold))Health riskEPA-modeled added cancer cases per million residents from a lifetime of breathing local air toxics. EPA flags 100-in-a-million as elevated.

30.0 per million · 2020 vintage

Single-vintage exposure modeling — EPA cadence is multi-year, so no trend line yet.

HAZARDOUS AIR2020 VINTAGE

Formaldehyde ambient mean (0.077 µg/m³ (1-in-a-million URE))Health riskAn air toxic emitted by refineries, wood products, and combustion. EPA classifies it as a known human carcinogen — long-term inhalation raises cancer risk.

1.28 µg/m³ · 2020 vintage

Single-vintage exposure modeling — EPA cadence is multi-year, so no trend line yet.

HAZARDOUS AIR2020 VINTAGE

Benzene ambient mean (0.13 µg/m³ (1-in-a-million URE))Health riskAn air toxic from gasoline, refineries, and tobacco smoke. A known human carcinogen — chronic exposure is linked to leukemia and other blood cancers.

0.22 µg/m³ · 2020 vintage

Single-vintage exposure modeling — EPA cadence is multi-year, so no trend line yet.

TRI AIR2024 VINTAGE

TRI air releases (5.1 fugitive + 5.2 stack)Health riskToxic chemicals reported by industrial facilities as released into the air — fugitive leaks plus smokestack emissions. Higher pounds means more inhaled exposure for nearby residents.

0 lb · 2024 vintage

Single-vintage exposure modeling — EPA cadence is multi-year, so no trend line yet.

TRI WATER2024 VINTAGE

TRI water releases (5.3)Health riskToxic chemicals reported by industrial facilities as discharged to surface waters (rivers, lakes, the ocean). Affects fishing, recreation, and downstream drinking-water intakes.

0 lb · 2024 vintage

Single-vintage exposure modeling — EPA cadence is multi-year, so no trend line yet.

TRI LAND2024 VINTAGE

TRI land + off-site releasesHealth riskToxic chemicals released to land on-site or transferred off-site for disposal — landfills, deep-well injection, and similar. Risks groundwater contamination over time.

0 lb · 2024 vintage

Single-vintage exposure modeling — EPA cadence is multi-year, so no trend line yet.

GHGSINCE 2010

Greenhouse gases (GHGRP large emitters, through 2023)Health riskGreenhouse gases reported by large industrial emitters under EPA's GHGRP, in metric tons of CO₂ equivalent. Drives climate warming and the heat-related health effects that follow.

11.6M metric tons CO₂e · -11% YoY · -36% since 2010

Greenhouse gases (GHGRP large emitters, through 2023) concentrations have fallen 36% since 2010.

Drinking water · SDWIS

Water Systems Serving Arlington Heights

22 unresolved violations on the SDWIS record across utilities serving this city.

SDWIS · 5-YR WINDOW
1

Utilities serving

SDWIS · 5-YR WINDOW
73,320

Population served

SDWIS · 5-YR WINDOW
0

Health-based · 5yr

SDWIS · 5-YR WINDOW
22

Unresolved

Water systemPWSIDPopulation servedHealth-based · 5yrStatus
Arlington Heights MunicipalIL031403073,3200UNRESOLVED

A public water systemis the regulated entity, not the city. EPA's SDWIS definition covers anything serving 25+ people for 60+ days a year or with 15+ service connections — that includes municipal utilities (City of Stockton), water districts, mobile home parks operating their own wells, schools, and small private subdivisions. Each system is independently monitored. Some systems serve multiple cities; some cities are served by many systems.

Equity context · ACS 2018-2022 · USEPA-clone EJ disparity

Who Lives In Arlington Heights

Arlington Heights, Illinois (Census place block groups): 76,794 residents. City disparity score for pm2.5 (fine particulate) sits below the reference (51). Why we surface this →

POPULATION SHARE
5.7%

Low-income

POPULATION SHARE
25.2%

People of color

POPULATION SHARE
6.2%

Under age 5

POPULATION SHARE
19.7%

Over age 64

NATIONAL PERCENTILE · vs all US block groups (population-weighted; ranked against the national EJScreen indicator distribution)

  • PM2.5 (fine particulate)Health riskFine inhalable particles 2.5 micrometers or smaller. They travel deep into the lungs and into the bloodstream — linked to asthma, heart disease, stroke, and premature death.67above the national median
  • OzoneHealth riskGround-level ozone (smog) inflames the airways. Even short exposures trigger asthma attacks and worsen chronic lung and heart disease.89in the highest 20% nationally
  • Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂)Health riskA tailpipe and combustion gas. Concentrates near busy roads and industrial sites; raises risk of airway inflammation, asthma, and lower respiratory infections in children.92in the highest 10% nationally
  • Diesel particulateHealth riskSoot from diesel engines (trucks, trains, ports, construction). EPA classifies it as a likely human carcinogen and a major driver of childhood asthma near freight corridors.76above the national median
  • Toxic releases (RSEI)Health riskEPA's Risk-Screening Environmental Indicators score — weights TRI chemical releases by toxicity, where they go, and how many people are nearby. Higher means greater modeled cancer and chronic-health risk.86in the highest 20% nationally
  • Traffic proximityHealth riskPopulation-weighted distance to high-volume roads. Living close to heavy traffic raises exposure to PM2.5, NO₂, and diesel exhaust — and the cardiovascular and asthma risks that follow.74above the national median
  • Lead-paint risk (pre-1960 housing)Health riskShare of housing built before 1960, when lead-based paint was common. Dust from deteriorating paint is the leading cause of childhood lead poisoning, which permanently impairs cognitive development.57near the national median
  • Superfund site proximityHealth riskPopulation-weighted distance to NPL Superfund sites — the most contaminated waste sites in the country. Nearby groundwater, soil, and air can carry industrial solvents, metals, and other long-lived contaminants.56near the national median
  • RMP-facility proximityHealth riskDistance to facilities holding chemicals at quantities large enough to require an EPA Risk Management Plan (refineries, fertilizer plants, etc.). These pose acute exposure risk during accidental releases.59near the national median
  • Hazardous-waste site proximityHealth riskDistance to RCRA hazardous-waste handlers (treatment, storage, disposal facilities). Indicates potential exposure to industrial chemicals in air, soil, and groundwater.82in the highest 20% nationally
  • Underground storage tanksHealth riskDensity of underground tanks (gasoline, heating oil, industrial fluids). Leaking tanks are a leading source of benzene and other volatile organic compounds in groundwater drinking-water supplies.91in the highest 10% nationally
  • NPDES wastewater proximityHealth riskDistance to permitted industrial wastewater dischargers. Closer proximity raises exposure to pollutants released into surface waters used for fishing, recreation, and downstream drinking-water intakes.87in the highest 20% nationally
  • Drinking-water non-complianceHealth riskEPA score for public water systems with health-based Safe Drinking Water Act violations. Higher means more residents on systems that recently exceeded safe limits for contaminants like lead, arsenic, or nitrate.76above the national median
EJ disparity scores · population-weighted across city block groups (100 = national reference; higher = greater disparate burden)
IndicatorDisparity scoreReading
PM2.5 (fine particulate)51below the reference
Ozone62below the reference
Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂)68below the reference
Diesel particulate57below the reference
Toxic releases (RSEI)63below the reference
Traffic proximity54below the reference
Lead-paint risk (pre-1960 housing)26well below the reference
Superfund site proximity0well below the reference
RMP-facility proximity39well below the reference
Hazardous-waste site proximity60below the reference
Underground storage tanks51below the reference
NPDES wastewater proximity63below the reference
Drinking-water non-compliance0well below the reference

Source: Census ACS 2018-2022 (5-year) + USEPA-clone EJ blockgroup stats (raw indicators + EJ disparity mirror).

Health context

Co-Located Health Indicators

Modeled adult-prevalence estimates published by CDC PLACES, paired with this city's pollution and demographic context. Comparisons are ecological, not causal — pollution and disease prevalence covary at the area level, but the data does not attribute any individual's diagnosis to local exposure. How this section works →

Adult asthma (current)

BRFSS 2023
9.2%
-6% vs Illinois mean-7% vs US mean

CDC PLACES · 2025 release · BRFSS 2022-2023

COPD prevalence

BRFSS 2023
5.1%
-26% vs Illinois mean-26% vs US mean

CDC PLACES · 2025 release · BRFSS 2022-2023

Coronary heart disease

BRFSS 2023
5.1%
-21% vs Illinois mean-27% vs US mean

CDC PLACES · 2025 release · BRFSS 2022-2023

Diabetes (diagnosed)

BRFSS 2023
9.0%
-30% vs Illinois mean-31% vs US mean

CDC PLACES · 2025 release · BRFSS 2022-2023

Frequent mental distress

BRFSS 2023
12.8%
-14% vs Illinois mean-16% vs US mean

CDC PLACES · 2025 release · BRFSS 2022-2023

PLACES uses BRFSS-modeled small-area estimates, not individual records. Crude prevalence shown above is the local rate as published; comparators are age-adjusted vs the Illinois mean and the US mean — both population-weighted across counties — so geographies with different age structures stay apples-to-apples. Sources: CDC PLACES · 2025 release · BRFSS 2022-2023.

Sources.