Why is this type of information relevant to mental health and substance use? Exposure to chemicals, toxins, and other pollutants have a tremendous impact on not only our physical but also our mental health. Inflammation caused by toxic exposure is systemic. Systemic inflammation greatly influences our ability to process cognitively. Additonally, exposure to toxins impacts development in the neuro-psychological areas of human (and all) organisms. 

https://www.sehn.org/sehn/2021/10/28/take-these-beautiful-words-the-1959-santa-susana-field-lab-disaster-the-2018-woolsey-fire-and-the-right-to-a-safe-environment" rel="noopener" target="_blank">By Carmi Orenstein, MPH,
CHPNY Program Director

California Health Maps is an interactive mapping tool of health data for  geographies beyond the county level in California. You can map cancer  incidence for 12 of the most common invasive cancer sites and filter by  sex, race, and ethnicity. Visit Learn to review methodology, data sources, and more.

"The military spends more than a billion dollars a year to clean up sites  its operations have contaminated with toxic waste and explosives. These  sites exist in every state in the country. Some are located near schools, residential neighborhoods, rivers and  lakes. A full map of these sites has never been made public – until now.  Enter your address to see the hazardous sites near you, or select a  state." (from Propublica Website).

"A new ProPublica analysis shows for the first time  just how much toxic air pollution they emit — and how much the chemicals  they unleash could be elevating cancer risk in their communities.

ProPublica’s  analysis of five years of modeled EPA data identified more than 1,000  toxic hot spots across the country and found that an estimated 250,000  people living in them may be exposed to levels of excess cancer risk that the EPA deems unacceptable." (from Propublica Website).

"The regulation specifically targets ethylene oxide, which a ProPublica  analysis found was the single biggest contributor to excess industrial  cancer risk from air pollutants nationwide.

The Environmental Protection Agency will drastically reduce cancerous air pollution from chemical plants. The regulation, announced last week, comes two years after a ProPublica analysis identified more than a thousand toxic hot spots that elevate the cancer risk of millions of Americans."