Benzene in Outdoor Air by County, New Jersey, 2019
Indicator Report Data View Options
Why Is This Important?
People are exposed to benzene from tobacco smoking, automobile service stations, exhaust from motor vehicles, and industrial emissions. People living in cities or industrial areas are exposed to higher levels of benzene in air than those living in rural areas. Breathing high levels of benzene can cause drowsiness, dizziness, rapid heart rate, headaches, tremors, confusion, and unconsciousness. Long-term exposure causes harmful effects on the bone marrow, can lead to anemia, and can affect the immune system. Benzene is a known human carcinogen. Long-term exposure to high levels of benzene in the air can cause leukemia.
Definition
Mean of modeled annual average benzene concentration for census tracts in a county
Data Source
USEPA Air Toxics Screening Assessment and NJDEP Division of Air Quality(https://www.epa.gov/AirToxScreen)
How the Measure is Calculated
Numerator:
Modeled mean benzene concentration in micrograms per cubic meterDenominator:
N/A
Related Health Objectives and Indicators
Environmental Public Health Tracking Indicator AQ-81
Description: Annual average air concentration estimates for benzene, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, carbon tetrachloride, and 1,3-butadienehttps://ephtracking.cdc.gov/indicatorPages?selectedContentAreaAbbreviation=11&selectedIndicatorId=81