Bergen County Public Health Profile Report
Naphthalene in Outdoor Air: Mean Concentration (ug/m3), 2017 NATA
Bergen 0.0495% Confidence Interval NADescription of the Confidence IntervalThe confidence interval indicates the range of probable true values for the level of risk in the community.
A value of "NA" (Not Available) will appear if the confidence interval was not published with the NJSHAD indicator data for this measure.State 0.03U.S. NA NA=Data not available.Bergen Compared to State
Description of GaugeDescription of the Gauge
This graphic is based on the county data to the left. It compares the county value of this indicator to the state overall value.- Excellent = The county's value on this indicator is BETTER than the state value, and the difference IS statistically significant.
- Watch = The county's value is BETTER than state value, but the difference IS NOT statistically significant.
- Improvement Needed = The county's value on this indicator is WORSE than the state value, but the difference IS NOT statistically significant.
- Reason for Concern = The county's value on this indicator is WORSE than the state value, and the difference IS statistically significant.
The county value is considered statistically significantly different from the state value if the state value is outside the range of the county's 95% confidence interval. If the county's data or 95% confidence interval information is not available, a blank gauge image will be displayed with the message, "missing information."NOTE: The labels used on the gauge graphic are meant to describe the county's status in plain language. The placement of the gauge needle is based solely on the statistical difference between the county and state values. When selecting priority health issues to work on, a county should take into account additional factors such as how much improvement could be made, the U.S. value, the statistical stability of the county number, the severity of the health condition, and whether the difference is clinically significant.
Why Is This Important?
Naphthalene has been used as a household fumigant, such as in mothballs or moth flakes. Large amounts of naphthalene are used as a chemical intermediate to produce other chemicals. Exposure to naphthalene happens mostly from breathing air contaminated from the burning of wood, tobacco, or fossil fuels, industrial discharges, or moth repellents. Exposure to high levels of naphthalene may damage or destroy red blood cells. Children and adults have developed this condition, known as hemolytic anemia, after ingesting mothballs or deodorant blocks containing naphthalene. Symptoms include fatigue, lack of appetite, nausea, restlessness, and pale skin. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies naphthalene as possibly carcinogenic to humans.How Are We Doing?
Most New Jersey counties exceed the health benchmark of 0.029 micrograms of naphthalene per cubic meter of air. The highest ambient air concentrations can be found in Hudson and Essex Counties.What Is Being Done?
Industrial facilities that emit this chemical must obtain permits from the NJDEP Air Program and are also subject to state and federal air pollution control technology requirements.Related Indicators
Relevant Population Characteristics:
Note
Data Source: National-scale Air Toxics Assessment (NATA), 2017 and NJDEP Division of Air QualityData Sources
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Bureau of Air Monitoring, New Jersey Department of Environmental ProtectionMeasure Description for Naphthalene in Outdoor Air
Definition: Mean of modeled annual average naphthalene concentration for census tracts in a county using 2017 NATA data
Numerator: Modeled mean naphthalene concentration in micrograms per cubic meter
Denominator: N/A