Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) Program

TRI-Listed Chemicals

In general chemicals covered by the TRI Program are those that cause one or more of the following:

  • Cancer or other chronic human health effects
  • Significant adverse acute human health effects
  • Significant adverse environmental effects

The current TRI toxic chemical list contains 595 individually-listed chemicals and 31 chemical categories (including four categories containing 68 specifically-listed chemicals). If the members of the four delimited categories are counted as separate chemicals, the TRI Program covers 690 chemicals and chemical categories (i.e., 595 + 27 + 68).
Note: methyl mercaptan and 2,2-dibromo-3-nitrilopropionamide are under administrative stays and are not currently reportable.

TRI Chemical List Changes: 1987-2016

EPA makes changes to the TRI chemical list through EPA-initiated review and through the chemical petitions process. As a result, the TRI list of reportable toxic chemicals can vary from year to year. TRI Chemical List Changes lists all of the additions to and deletions from the TRI chemical list and indicates the first or last reporting year for those chemicals.

TRI Chemicals Classified as OSHA Carcinogens
TRI Basis of OSHA Carcinogens lists those chemicals considered to be carcinogens under the requirements of the Occupation Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the basis for the classifications.

Persistent Bioaccumulative Toxic (PBT) Chemicals

PBT chemicals have lower reporting thresholds than other TRI chemicals. PBTs are of particular concern because they remain in the environment for long periods of time, are not readily destroyed and build up or accumulate in body tissue.

TRI Chemicals and Other EPA Regulatory Programs

  • Title III List of Lists: A consolidated list of chemicals subject to reporting requirements under Sections 302 and 313 of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA), with references to their reporting status under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA or Superfund); the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA); and Section 112(r) of the Clean Air Act.

Toxicity of TRI Chemicals

  • TRI-Chemical Hazard Information Profiles (TRI-CHIP): TRI's searchable database system contains hazard information for TRI chemicals. Among other features, users can search for toxicity information from multiple information sources and identify TRI chemicals associated with a particular critical adverse human health effect.
  • Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) ToxFAQs: ToxFAQs is a series of printable fact sheets that answer the most frequently asked questions about exposure to hazardous substances and the effects of exposure on human health. Many of these substances are also TRI chemicals. Available in multiple languages.