City · TRI 2024

Albuquerque, New Mexico Pollution

15 TRI facilities inside the city limits and 23 public water systems serving residents. In-city TRI releases fell modestly year over year (-8%). Toxic releases concentrations have more than doubled since 2010.

FIPS 3502000 · population 562,551 · Bernalillo County

IN-CITY TRI RELEASES · 20102024
Bar chart of annual values from 2010 to 2024, in lb. Most recent year (2024): 315k.444k'10'12'14'16'18'20'22'24315k
Anomaly engine

Notable Signals

UNRESOLVED VIOLATION · SDWIS VIOLATION

Contaminant 7000

Unresolved Phase I/II/V Synthetic Organic Chemical Rules violation cited in 2024 (contaminant 7000).

EPA SDWIS record

UNRESOLVED VIOLATION · SDWIS VIOLATION

Contaminant 7000

Unresolved Phase I/II/V Synthetic Organic Chemical Rules violation cited in 2021 (contaminant 7000).

EPA SDWIS record

UNRESOLVED VIOLATION · SDWIS VIOLATION

Arsenic

Unresolved Phase I/II/V Inorganic Chemical Rules violation cited in 2025 (arsenic).

EPA SDWIS record

UNRESOLVED VIOLATION · SDWIS VIOLATION

Arsenic

Unresolved Phase I/II/V Inorganic Chemical Rules violation cited in 2025 (arsenic).

EPA SDWIS record

Showing the 4 most editorially weighted signals out of 25. Lower-severity signals fold into the chemical breakdown and history charts below.

Pollutant pathways

Albuquerque 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.

6.29 µg/m³ · +8% YoY · -5% since 2010

PM2.5 annual mean (NAAQS 9 µg/m³ (annual)) concentrations are roughly unchanged from 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.

16.23 µg/m³ · +13% YoY · -9% since 2010

PM2.5 24-hour 98th percentile (NAAQS 35 µg/m³ (24-hour)) concentrations are roughly unchanged from 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.

0.073 ppm · +11% 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.

8.5 ppb · -0% YoY · -51% since 2010

NO₂ annual mean (NAAQS 53 ppb (annual)) concentrations have more than halved 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.

26.0 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.

1.23 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.

0.24 µg/m³ · 2020 vintage

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

TRI AIRSINCE 2010

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.

61k lb · -1% YoY · +916% since 2010

TRI air releases (5.1 fugitive + 5.2 stack) concentrations have more than doubled since 2010.

TRI WATERSINCE 2010

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 · YoY · since 2010

TRI water releases (5.3) volumes here are too small to anchor a multi-year trend; YoY movement is still shown above.

TRI LANDSINCE 2010

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.

254k lb · -10% YoY · +480% since 2010

TRI land + off-site releases concentrations have more than doubled since 2010.

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.

6.1M metric tons CO₂e · +14% YoY · +31% since 2010

Greenhouse gases (GHGRP large emitters, through 2023) concentrations are up 31% since 2010.

Top facilities · TRI 2024

Largest Emitters Inside The City

FacilityTop chemicalTotal releasesYoY
Cts Electronic Components INCCts CORPLead And Lead CompoundsHealth riskNeurotoxin. Even low childhood exposure impairs cognitive development; chronic adult exposure damages kidneys and the cardiovascular system. (EPA, ATSDR)239k lb0%
Abb Installation Products INC.Abb Holdings INCTolueneHealth riskCentral-nervous-system depressant. Chronic high exposure causes hearing loss and developmental effects. (EPA, ATSDR)31k lb-42%
Materion Advanced Materials Technologies & Services Mesa DelMaterion CORPNitric acidHealth riskStrong corrosive irritant to skin, eyes, and the respiratory tract. (NIOSH)30k lb-9%
Western Refining - Albuquerque LP TerminalMarathon Petroleum CORPTolueneHealth riskCentral-nervous-system depressant. Chronic high exposure causes hearing loss and developmental effects. (EPA, ATSDR)5k lb-13%
Aj Maes Dba Sandia MarbleStyreneHealth riskIARC Group 2A probable carcinogen; central-nervous-system effects from inhalation. (IARC, EPA)4k lb-7%
Dfa Dairy Brands Fluid LLC Dba CreamlandDairy Farmers Of America INCNitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution)Health riskDrinking-water nitrate causes methemoglobinemia ('blue-baby syndrome') in infants; EPA MCL is 10 mg/L as N. (EPA)3k lb+0%
Sumco Phoenix-AlbuquerqueSumco Phoenix CORPHydrochloric acid (acid aerosols including mists, vapors, gas, fog, and other airborne forms of any particle size)Health riskAerosolized HCl is a corrosive respiratory irritant; chronic exposure damages teeth and respiratory tissue. (NIOSH)2k lb-18%
Solaero Technologies CorpNitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution)Health riskDrinking-water nitrate causes methemoglobinemia ('blue-baby syndrome') in infants; EPA MCL is 10 mg/L as N. (EPA)960 lb+9%
Creation Technologies (Formerly Iec Electronics)Creation Technologies International INCLeadHealth riskNeurotoxin. Even low childhood exposure impairs cognitive development; chronic adult exposure damages kidneys and the cardiovascular system. (EPA, ATSDR)52 lb+100%
Sta Technologies INCSicpa Securink CORPNitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution)Health riskDrinking-water nitrate causes methemoglobinemia ('blue-baby syndrome') in infants; EPA MCL is 10 mg/L as N. (EPA)21 lb-62%
Drinking water · SDWIS

Water Systems Serving Albuquerque

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

SDWIS · 5-YR WINDOW
23

Utilities serving

SDWIS · 5-YR WINDOW
628,637

Population served

SDWIS · 5-YR WINDOW
77

Health-based · 5yr

SDWIS · 5-YR WINDOW
107

Unresolved

Water systemPWSIDPopulation servedHealth-based · 5yrStatus
Paakweree Village Water Co-Op Assoc, Inc PrivateNM350190111766UNRESOLVED
South Hills Water Company PrivateNM35102015062UNRESOLVED
North Court Mobile Home Park PrivateNM35489011172UNRESOLVED
Sandia Peak Utility PrivateNM35622016,0791UNRESOLVED
Barcelona Mobile Home Park PrivateNM35475011991UNRESOLVED
Pajarito Mesa Mdwca MunicipalNM35034011751UNRESOLVED
University Of New Mexico State-ownedNM357550135,0001Returned to compliance
Tierra West Estates Mhp PrivateNM35117011,4471Returned to compliance
Chamisa Mobile Home Park PrivateNM3549101581Returned to compliance
Oakland Heights Homeowners Association PrivateNM3500801261Returned to compliance
Kirtland Air Force Base FederalNM356770122,5000UNRESOLVED
Hacienda Del Sol #1 PrivateNM35488011520UNRESOLVED
Lost Horizon Coop Association PrivateNM3511101950UNRESOLVED
Sunset Hills Estates Hoa PrivateNM3501001760UNRESOLVED
Western Terrace PrivateNM3531001760UNRESOLVED

Showing the 15 systems with recorded health-based or unresolved violations. 8 additional systems are in compliance with no recorded health-based violations in the past 5 years and are not individually tabulated.

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.

Superfund / NPL sites

Federal Cleanup Sites In Albuquerque

Sites on EPA's Superfund National Priorities List, plus deleted sites whose cleanup objectives EPA has finalized. Federal-facility sites (defense, DOE, etc.) are flagged separately. Each link routes to a per-site page.

Methodology →

SiteStatusFederal facilityPrimary contaminant
Carlisle Village CleanersNPL FINALNo
Fruit Avenue PlumeNPL FINALNoTrichloroetheneHealth riskTCE. IARC Group 1 carcinogen — kidney cancer; suspected liver cancer and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. EPA MCL 5 µg/L; common DNAPL groundwater plume contaminant. (IARC, EPA, ATSDR)
Equity context · ACS 2018-2022 · USEPA-clone EJ disparity

Who Lives In Albuquerque

Albuquerque, New Mexico (Census place block groups): 562,551 residents. City disparity score for pm2.5 (fine particulate) sits below the reference (50). Why we surface this →

POPULATION SHARE
16.5%

Low-income

POPULATION SHARE
63.0%

People of color

POPULATION SHARE
5.5%

Under age 5

POPULATION SHARE
16.6%

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.25below the national median
  • OzoneHealth riskGround-level ozone (smog) inflames the airways. Even short exposures trigger asthma attacks and worsen chronic lung and heart disease.79above the national median
  • 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.80above the national median
  • 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.92in the highest 10% nationally
  • 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.17below the national median
  • 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.75above 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.53near 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.82in the highest 20% nationally
  • 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.65above 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.70above the national median
  • 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.71above the national median
  • 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.88in 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)50below the reference
Ozone170well above the reference burden
Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂)141moderately above the reference
Diesel particulate155well above the reference burden
Toxic releases (RSEI)32well below the reference
Traffic proximity126moderately above the reference
Lead-paint risk (pre-1960 housing)62below the reference
Superfund site proximity112moderately above the reference
RMP-facility proximity107near the reference
Hazardous-waste site proximity118moderately above the reference
Underground storage tanks99near the reference
NPDES wastewater proximity135moderately above the reference
Drinking-water non-compliance1well 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
9.9%
-1% vs New Mexico mean-1% vs US mean

CDC PLACES · 2025 release · BRFSS 2022-2023

COPD prevalence

BRFSS 2023
5.5%
-13% vs New Mexico mean-11% vs US mean

CDC PLACES · 2025 release · BRFSS 2022-2023

Coronary heart disease

BRFSS 2023
6.2%
-8% vs New Mexico mean+2% vs US mean

CDC PLACES · 2025 release · BRFSS 2022-2023

Diabetes (diagnosed)

BRFSS 2023
11.3%
-11% vs New Mexico mean-3% vs US mean

CDC PLACES · 2025 release · BRFSS 2022-2023

Frequent mental distress

BRFSS 2023
16.2%
-2% vs New Mexico mean-0% 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 New Mexico 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.