Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds

Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds (EPA TRI Category Code N590) is a chemical tracked by the EPA Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) program under Section 313 of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act. The TRI requires industrial facilities above specified threshold quantities to disclose annual manufacturing, processing, and otherwise-used volumes, along with quantities released to air, water, land, and off-site transfers.

Across the United States, 2,041 facilities have filed TRI Form R disclosures for Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds, with a cumulative reported release volume of 4.9M lbs. The chemical carries a carcinogen classification in the TRI database, based on assessments from EPA, IARC, or the National Toxicology Program. It is also listed as a persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic (PBT) substance, a category subject to lower reporting thresholds and elevated regulatory concern. The largest individual disclosure in the current dataset comes from CHEMICAL WASTE MANAGEMENT OF THE NORTHWEST INC. in OR at 530.5K lbs.

TRI volumes are self-reported estimates, not measured stack emissions, and each pound counts equally regardless of chemical toxicity, so total pounds should not be equated with total risk. Inclusion of a chemical or facility in the TRI does not itself establish a health hazard; it documents the public right-to-know record. Consult EPA's IRIS (Integrated Risk Information System) and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry for health-effect summaries.