EPA updates online version of Report on the Environment

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released an online update to its Report on the Environment on Monday, allowing the public to access current and past information about the environment and human health 

The Report on the Environment uses information from the EPA, other federal and state agencies, and non-governmental organizations to track national health indicators over time, which are peer-reviewed for accuracy and reliability. The updated Web portal lets users view 85 indicators including interactive graphs, tables and maps. They also can download the indicator data on topics such as air, water, land, human exposure, health and ecological condition.

Some key findings users can track include trends for the national average ambient air concentrations, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and pesticide residues.

Between 1990 and 2011, concentrations of pollutants such as carbon monoxide, lead, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, particulate matter and sulfur dioxide decreased significantly, while GHG emissions have decreased 9 percent since 2005. Foods with detectable pesticide residues decreased from 2005 to 2012, and pesticide exposure incidents decreased by 49 percent from 1998 to 2012.