Other phases of the Cumulative Exposure Project include evaluating risks presented by toxics in the nation's water and food supplies. The report indicates that air toxics are believed to come predominantly from cars and other mobile sources. Additional sources include fairly common solvents used in the painting, printing and chemical industries. The study found industrial plants play a small role. Washington D.C., for example, is at the top of the list in exceeding the federal guidelines for air toxics, yet has no significant concentration of industry.
New Jersey is a national leader in environmental regulation.
Reformulated gasoline, in use since 1995, reduces toxics content by 15 percent over 1990 levels. Diesel fuel standards, imposed nationally in 1993, similarly reduced benzene emissions. Greater emission inspections of heavy-duty diesel fueled vehicles is expected to help reduce polycyclic organic matter. The EPA plan to restrict emissions from sport utility vehicles and the state's new auto inspection program also will reduce tailpipe emissions. During the first half of this decade alone, DEP has documented a 50 percent decline in certain toxic air emissions from large manufacturing sources, using the annual Toxic Release Inventory reports which cover more than 650 toxic chemicals.