Luxembourg-based Ternium steel manufacturing company is a leading steel producer across the Americas that is today ranked in the 90th percentile in the industry in terms of environmental, ethics, labour and sustainability practices by EcoVadis sustainability assessors.

In 2017, Ternium purchased and took over operations in Brazil at the Ternium Brasil Santa Cruz steel plant in Rio de Janeiro with the promise of creating job opportunities. However, as a carbon-intensive coal-based steel plant, Ternium Brasil presents a double-edged sword to the local population:  job opportunities and deadly pollution.

CREA’s health impact assessment (HIA) reveals that the Ternium Brasil steel plant in Rio de Janeiro has had a devastating impact on the health of the local population due to emitting deadly air pollutants that reach as far as São Paulo and have led to over one thousand deaths and cost over two billion USD in healthcare costs since the start of operations in 2010.

Estimates reveal that emissions from the Ternium Brasil steel plant have led to approximately 100 emergency room visits due to asthma, 300 new cases of asthma in children, 1,100 children suffering from asthma, 60 preterm births, 60 low birth weights, and 120,000 days of work absences.

In addition, air pollution from this facility is estimated to have led to 1,200 deaths due to diseases such as stroke, lower respiratory infections, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and diabetes — this includes the death of approximately 35 children under the age of 5 years old. 

The economic costs due to the impacts of air pollution from Ternium Brasil are estimated to be in the range of USD 1.8 billion (BRL 9.1 billion), which exceeds Rio de Janeiro’s total budget for education, culture, and sports combined for an entire year (BRL 8 billion).

Ternium, founded in Argentina with operations in North and South America yet headquartered across the ocean in Europe’s fiscally advantageous Luxembourg, has reaped substantial profits from its operations in Santa Cruz, a community that struggles with poverty, racial inequities, and the impacts of pollution. This situation exemplifies environmental racism, where the negative impacts of industrial activities disproportionately affect marginalised communities, with little to no benefits accruing to those most affected. The wealth generated from these operations benefits shareholders and executives far removed from the daily realities of Santa Cruz, leaving behind a legacy of health crises and economic hardship.

Key findings 

• This report assesses how emissions from the steel facility located in Santa Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, currently known as Ternium Brasil Santa Cruz (formerly CSA Cia Siderúrgica do Atlántico), have affected air quality, public health, and the economy during its operations from 2010 to 2023.
• The Ternium Brasil steel facility emits dangerous levels of toxic air pollutants over a wide region, extending as far as São Paulo.
• Exposure to the pollutants emitted by Ternium Brasil has led to a devastating impact on the health of the local population. 
• Some of the estimated health impacts caused by exposure to pollution from Ternium Brasil include 100 (70–150) visits to the emergency room due to asthma, 300 (60–700) new cases of asthma in children, 1,100 (300–2,400) children suffering from asthma, 60 (20–110) preterm births, 60 (20–110) low birth weights, and 120,000 (100,000–140,000) days of work absences.
• In addition, air pollution from this facility is estimated to have led to 1,200 (775–1,750) deaths due to diseases including stroke, lower respiratory infections, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and diabetes – this includes the death of approximately 35 (10–65) children under the age of 5 years old. 
• Considering these health outcomes, air pollution from Ternium Brasil could have cost society USD 1.8 (1.2–2.7) billion, or BRL  9.1 (5.8–13.2) billion.
• For context, the economic costs due to air pollution from Ternium Brasil exceed Rio de Janeiro’s combined expenses in education, culture, and sports for an entire year (BRL 8 billion) (Statista, 2023).
• Overall, the Ternium Brasil steel facility, which is powered by dirty fuels, including coal and coke, and lacks air pollution control measures, has had a devastating impact on public health and the economy, including millions of dollars in health damages.

Methodology In this study, we estimated how pollutant emissions from the Ternium Brasil steel plant have affected air quality, public health, and the economy, whilst this facility has been in operation 2010–2023). Firstly, we retrieved pollutant emissions data from Ternium official documents. Secondly, we used a meteorological and air dispersion model to simulate how emissions from the facility are transported in the atmosphere, generating maps of the distribution of pollutants in the atmosphere. Thirdly, we calculated how exposure to the pollutants affects public health by combining the maps of pollutant concentrations with data that describes the toxicity of the pollutants and population data (e.g. population density, age, baseline health incidence, etc.). See Methodology section of report for full methodology.