Which public schools across the United States were found to have the most toxic air? According to this map visual that was created by the team at AAAStateofPlay.com, one school in Missouri earned a toxic hazard score far greater than any other public schools in the country. While the national average toxic hazard score is 4,515; the elementary and high school buildings in Verona, MO were found to have toxic hazard levels so high they earned a score of 2.998 million! The toxicity of the air in schools is scored by the Political Economy Research Institute (PERI) through their Air Toxics at School interactive tool. The toxic hazard scores are calculated based on the concentrations of air toxics in each 810-by-810 grid cell within 50 km of any facility surrounding the school. Schools near plants, factories, and other businesses that produce a lot of air pollution were found to have some of the highest PERI toxic hazard scores in the country.
Infographic by: aaastateofplay
