The 50 Schools in America With the Most Toxic Air

Which public schools in America were found to have the most toxic air flowing through their hallways? To answer this question, the research team at AAA State of Play collected data using the Air Toxics at School interactive tool created by the Political Economy Research Institute (PERI) and analyzed it to find which public schools in the U.S. have the highest concentrations of toxic hazards in the air. PERI’s interactive tool is used to track the concentration of industrial toxic air pollution at every school in the United States, from K-12 to higher education buildings, but our analysis only includes currently operational regular public schools (pre-K through 12th grade). Each school’s report has a breakdown of the toxic chemicals in the air as well as the nearby industrial facilities that are the source of this toxic air pollution.

Exposure to air pollution at a young age is harmful to a child’s development and can even lead to lifelong health issues. Yet it seems that a lot of children in America are breathing high concentrations of air toxins in school. The list below only highlights the 50 public schools in the U.S. with the highest concentrations of toxic air pollution, but many other schools in the country were found to have air pollution issues as well. The incredibly high concentrations of toxic hazards at these 50 schools is almost unfathomable considering that the national average toxic hazard concentration at schools across the United States is just 4,512. One public school in Missouri was found to have the highest toxic hazard concentration at nearly 3 million, 665 times higher than the national average! What can be done to create less of a toxic air hazard at these 50 and many other of America’s public schools?

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Which School in America Has the Most Toxic Air?

The public school in America with the most toxic air pollution is the Verona Elementary and High Schools in Verona, MO, with a staggeringly high toxic hazard concentration of 2,990,404. That’s nearly 700 times more than the national average! The ten public schools with the most toxic air all had toxic hazard concentrations of more than 1 million.

The 10 Schools in the U.S. With the Highest Toxic Hazard

1. Verona Elementary and High Schools in Verona, MO: 2,998,404
2. Cromwell Elementary School in Memphis, TN: 1,637,292
3. Van Buren Elementary School in Groves, TX: 1,549,751
4. Groves Middle School in Groves, TX: 1,549,751
5. Memphis School of Excellence in Memphis, TN: 1,242,657
6. Fifth Ward Elementary School in Reserve, LA: 1,213,815
7. Wilkes Elementary School in Portland, OR: 1,183,849
8. Warren East Middle and High Schools in Bowling Green, KY: 1,076,027
9. Freedom High School in Morganton, NC: 1,072,440
10. Julia Bird Jones Muller Elementary School in Laredo, TX: 1,028,692

Which State’s Schools Have the Most Toxic Air on Average?

Oregon’s public schools were found to have the highest average amount of toxic air in the country, with an average toxic hazard concentration of 17,203 among the public schools in Oregon. The top chemical toxic hazard affecting Oregon schools is formaldehyde. The state with the lowest average toxic air concentration is New Mexico, with a low toxic hazard of just 23. Lead compounds were the leading chemicals found to affect the air in New Mexico schools.

The 10 States With the Highest Average Toxic Hazard at Schools

1. Oregon: 17,203
2. Louisiana: 14,781
3. Tennessee: 12,850
4. Ohio: 11,752
5. Nevada: 10,830
6. Texas: 10,200
7. Connecticut: 7,921
8. Pennsylvania: 7,397
9. Arkansas: 6,906
10. West Virginia: 6,730

What Chemicals Create Toxic Hazards in America’s Schools?

The PERI Toxic Air study also analyzed the types of chemicals that were most commonly found to create a toxic hazard in schools across America. The study included the top five chemicals affecting each school in the United States, from which we extracted the top chemical that was affecting the air quality in each school. Ethylene oxide and chromium were found to be the biggest toxic hazards on our list of schools with the most toxic air.

Using this analysis, we also extracted the top chemicals that seem to have the greatest effect on the air toxicity at schools in each state. The top five chemicals are determined by PERI based on the number of schools in the state where the chemical creates a Toxic Hazard of at least 0.01. Below are ten chemical air toxics that were found to be a “Top 5” chemical at schools in the most U.S. states.

The 10 Chemicals Most Commonly Found to Create a Toxic Hazard in U.S. Schools

1. Lead compounds are a Top 5 chemical at schools in 35 states.
2. Chromium is a Top 5 chemical at schools in 31 states.
3. Nickel is a Top 5 chemical at schools in 31 states.
4. Polycyclic aromatic compounds are a Top 5 chemical at schools in 21 states.
5. Manganese is a Top 5 chemical at schools in 16 states.
6. Lead is a Top 5 chemical at schools in 12 states.
7. Chromium compounds are a Top 5 chemical at schools in 12 states.
8. Ammonia is a Top 5 chemical at schools in 11 states.
9. Formaldehyde is a Top 5 chemical at schools in 10 states.
10. Sulfuric acid is a Top 5 chemical at schools in nine states.

The Average Toxic Air Hazard at Schools in Each State

The 50 Schools With the Most Toxic Air

The 10 Chemicals Most Commonly Found to Create a Toxic Hazard in U.S. Schools

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Find more about the author: Kim Hart