Toxic chemicals released from industries infiltrate our ecosystems, atmosphere, food, and ultimately our bodies. Communities living closest to these industries carry the greatest burden of exposure. Across the U.S., and here in Kansas, industries have often been placed away from affluent, predominantly White neighborhoods, while lower-income and more diverse communities face a disproportionate share of the risks. This StoryMap examines how these disparities unfold across Kansas, highlighting the communities most significantly impacted.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) releases the Toxic Release Inventory (TRI), which tracks the disposal of chemical waste by industries based on mandatory reporting from industrial facilities. The industries report 799 chemicals across 39 chemical categories that are known to cause cancer or other health concerns, adverse acute health effects, or adverse environmental impacts. The released data includes on-site and off-site disposal from air emissions, water discharges, landfill disposals, and underground injection wells. On-site disposals refer to the disposal of chemical waste within the facility's vicinity, whereas off-site disposals involve the transfer of chemical waste from the facility to a location outside the industrial facility.
The chart above shows the amount of waste disposed of through various media grouped by industry sector. Stack air emissions, which refer to emissions through confined air streams, were the primary source of on-site waste disposal in most industries. Fugitive air disposal includes all air emissions not through confined air streams, occurring due to leaks, surface impoundments or spills, or releases from building ventilation systems. Waste discharged into water was highest within the food industry.
The location of these facilities is often farther away from affluent neighborhoods-- historically occupied by the white population. Therefore, the exposure risk is higher for communities and neighborhoods living near industrial facilities that are often located in racial minority and lower-income neighborhoods. For this project, data were obtained for all facilities registered for TRI chemical waste reporting in the state of Kansas. The downloaded 2023 dataset included facility names, the type of industry the facility falls under, and the amount of waste disposed of through various media in pounds. This data was supplemented by census tract-level demographic characteristics data provided by the American Community Survey (ACS). Specifically, poverty and race variables were selected to visualize the disparities within economic and racial communities.
Kansas City and Wichita are among the most populous and diverse regions within Kansas. The toxic burden map below indicates a greater risk of exposure among the Black population in these cities relative to the overall population. For instance, in Kansas City, census tracts with higher Black populations are situated near waste-releasing industries, and Black residents in these areas face nearly 13 times the risk of exposure compared to the average population.
The map highlights the stark disparity in chemical exposure between Black and White communities. In some areas, Black residents were up to 148 times more likely to be exposed to toxic chemicals because industries are located near predominantly Black neighborhoods. Kansas City shows the highest disparity in the state, while Wichita, Topeka, and Manhattan show similar patterns on a smaller scale. In other parts of the state, exposure risks for Black residents often appear lower than those for White residents. This pattern likely reflects both the state’s predominantly White population and the geographic distribution of industry sites, which are less frequently located near areas with smaller Black populations.
Low-income communities face higher risks of toxic chemical exposure in both urban and rural areas. As shown in the map to the right, certain census tracts in Kansas are up to 3.7 times more at risk from industrial waste. The differences in exposure risk between urban and rural tracts are relatively small, emphasizing the widespread nature of the toxic exposure burden across the state.
Understanding exposure risks helps us see not just where toxic chemical releases happen, but also which communities are most affected. This makes it easier to focus resources and attention on the neighborhoods that need them most. In this story map, we looked at how toxic chemical exposure overlaps with areas of high poverty and neighborhoods with higher percentages of Black residents in Kansas. Cities with more diverse populations, like Kansas City and Wichita, showed clear racial disparities in exposure risk. When examining poverty, exposure risks appeared widespread across the state, highlighting the vulnerability of low-income communities in both urban and rural areas. Similar approaches could also be used to explore disparities among other minority groups. Finally, future analysis could examine the connection between exposure to toxic chemicals and chronic health conditions, using methods such as regression analysis to compare where chemicals are released and where health problems are most prevalent.