A new nationwide study led by a University of Illinois Springfield faculty member finds that people in lower-income communities and communities of color are more likely to live near sites where industries dispose of cancer-causing chemicals. The research was supported by the Intramural Research Program of the National Institutes of Health’s National Cancer Institute.

Jessica M. Madrigal, associate professor in the School of Integrated Sciences, Sustainability and Public Health in the UIS College of Health, Science and Technology, contributed to the research, which was published April 23, 2026, in the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology.

The study examined data from across the United States between 2010 and 2018. Researchers analyzed data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Toxics Release Program to identify where companies disposed of known and suspected cancer-causing chemicals on land, such as in landfills or underground wells, and compared that to demographic information about the population living in the census tracts where these disposals occur.

They found that millions of pounds of chemicals known or suspected to cause cancer are disposed of on land each year. Many of these chemicals, including asbestos and metals such as beryllium, cadmium and nickel, are left at or near the sites where they are produced.

The study also identified clear patterns in who lives near these disposal sites. Communities with higher levels of poverty, as well as communities with more Black and Hispanic residents, were more likely to be located near higher levels of these toxic chemicals.

“We estimated that 5.3 million people live in the census tracts where these disposals take place; these disposals occurred most frequently in tracts with higher proportions of population with higher levels of poverty, which is consistent with our prior studies of carcinogenic air emissions,” Madrigal said.

Previous research has linked exposures to these chemicals to serious health problems, including cancer, asthma and adverse birth outcomes.

The study also found that many of the highest levels of chemical disposal occur in parts of the southern and western United States, highlighting regional differences in environmental exposure.

Researchers say the findings point to the need for greater attention to how and where industrial waste is managed. While much research has focused on air pollution, this study shows that land disposal is also an important and often overlooked source of exposure.

“Until now, little has been summarized about the chemicals contained at industrial disposal sites,” Madrigal said. “These sites are regulated, meaning that facilities must follow several protective measures intended to limit the potential for human exposure to the contents of the disposal site. The potential for exposure among those that live in close proximity to these sites may vary by compound and by characteristics of the disposal site, including age, operation, and management practices.”

The research also highlights the importance of using nationwide data to better understand long-term exposure risks and to support more informed public health and policy decisions.

Other authors include Jared A. Fisher, Barry I. Graubard, Rena R. Jones, Caroline N. Pruitt, Elizabeth Sharp and Mary H. Ward of the National Cancer Institute; and Abigail R. Flory of Westat Inc. Read the full study online.