Total TRI releases
Total TRI releases at Chester have more than halved since 2010 (through 2024).
City · TRI 2024
Chester, Pennsylvania Pollution
4 TRI facilities inside the city limits and 1 public water system serving residents. In-city TRI releases more than halved year over year (-89%). Toxic releases concentrations have more than halved since 2010.
FIPS 4213208 · population 33,048 · Delaware County
Anomaly engine
Notable Signals
Pollutant pathways
Chester Pollutant Multi-Year Trends
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.
PM2.5 annual mean (NAAQS 9 µg/m³ (annual)) concentrations have more than halved since 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.
PM2.5 24-hour 98th percentile (NAAQS 35 µg/m³ (24-hour)) concentrations have fallen 46% since 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.
Ozone 8-hour 4th-highest daily max (NAAQS 0.070 ppm (8-hour)) concentrations have fallen 24% since 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.
NO₂ annual mean (NAAQS 53 ppb (annual)) concentrations have more than halved since 2010.
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.
Single-vintage exposure modeling — EPA cadence is multi-year, so no trend line yet.
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.
Single-vintage exposure modeling — EPA cadence is multi-year, so no trend line yet.
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.
Single-vintage exposure modeling — EPA cadence is multi-year, so no trend line yet.
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.
TRI air releases (5.1 fugitive + 5.2 stack) concentrations have more than halved since 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.
TRI water releases (5.3) volumes here are too small to anchor a multi-year trend; YoY movement is still shown above.
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.
TRI land + off-site releases volumes here are too small to anchor a multi-year trend; YoY movement is still shown above.
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.
Greenhouse gases (GHGRP large emitters, through 2023) concentrations have more than doubled since 2010.
Top facilities · TRI 2024
Largest Emitters Inside The City
| Facility | Top chemical | Total releases | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|
| Braskem America INCBraskem America INC | PropyleneHealth riskSimple asphyxiant; low direct toxicity at typical exposure levels. (NIOSH) | 23k lb | -40% |
| Evonik CorpEvonik CORP | Sulfuric acid (acid aerosols including mists, vapors, gas, fog, and other airborne forms of any particle size)Health riskAcid mists are an IARC Group 1 carcinogen via inhalation (laryngeal cancer) and corrosive on contact. (IARC) | 5k lb | +5% |
| Entegris INC.Entegris INC | TolueneHealth riskCentral-nervous-system depressant. Chronic high exposure causes hearing loss and developmental effects. (EPA, ATSDR) | 3k lb | -99% |
| Crown Foundry CO West Philadelphia Bronze | CopperHealth riskInhaled copper fumes cause metal-fume fever; chronic ingestion above EPA's 1.3 mg/L action level damages the liver. (EPA) | 28 lb | -7% |
Drinking water · SDWIS
Water Systems Serving Chester
No health-based SDWIS violations recorded across utilities serving this city in the past 5 years.
1
Utilities serving
140,437
Population served
0
Health-based · 5yr
0
Unresolved
Every public water system serving this city is in compliance with no recorded health-based SDWIS violations in the past 5 years. The 1 system on record are not individually tabulated here; click through any utility to see its full record.
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 Chester
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.
| Site | Status | Federal facility | Primary contaminant |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wade (Abm) | DELETED | No | ArsenicHealth riskIARC Group 1 carcinogen via inhalation and ingestion. EPA MCL 10 µg/L; chronic exposure causes skin, lung, bladder cancer and cardiovascular disease. (IARC, EPA, ATSDR) |
Equity context · ACS 2018-2022 · USEPA-clone EJ disparity
Who Lives In Chester
Chester, Pennsylvania (Census place block groups): 33,048 residents. City disparity score for pm2.5 (fine particulate) sits well above the reference burden (158). Why we surface this →
28.3%
Low-income
86.8%
People of color
7.0%
Under age 5
14.8%
Over age 64
- 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.60near the national median
- OzoneHealth riskGround-level ozone (smog) inflames the airways. Even short exposures trigger asthma attacks and worsen chronic lung and heart disease.54near 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.73above 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.74above 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.85in the highest 20% nationally
- 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.89in the highest 20% nationally
- 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.92in the highest 10% 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.95in the highest 5% nationally
- 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.83in 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.87in the highest 20% 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.97in the highest 5% 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
| Indicator | Disparity score | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (fine particulate) | 158 | well above the reference burden |
| Ozone | 152 | well above the reference burden |
| Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) | 184 | well above the reference burden |
| Diesel particulate | 188 | well above the reference burden |
| Toxic releases (RSEI) | 214 | severely above the reference burden |
| Traffic proximity | 214 | severely above the reference burden |
| Lead-paint risk (pre-1960 housing) | 217 | severely above the reference burden |
| Superfund site proximity | 234 | severely above the reference burden |
| RMP-facility proximity | 240 | severely above the reference burden |
| Hazardous-waste site proximity | 212 | severely above the reference burden |
| Underground storage tanks | 203 | severely above the reference burden |
| NPDES wastewater proximity | 250 | severely above the reference burden |
| Drinking-water non-compliance | 0 | well below the reference |
Source: Census ACS 2018-2022 (5-year) + USEPA-clone EJ blockgroup stats (raw indicators + EJ disparity mirror).
Sources.
- EPA Toxics Release Inventory · retrieved 2026-05-07.
- EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System · retrieved 2026-05-07.