Toxic emissions to the environment are the new data added to the interactive map on school and community profiles

These data could support studies on possible associations between the chemicals emitted and health aspects in populations.

March 20, 2023: A new layer on toxic emissions to the environment was added to the “School Community Profile: The Interactive Map” of the Puerto Rico Statistics Institute (Institute). This was reported by the executive director of the Institute, Dr. Orville M. Disdier, who explained that the new layer includes data from the Toxic Emissions Inventory (TRI) of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the year 2020. The TRI provides information on the emissions of chemical substances emitted to the environment by facilities dedicated to manufacturing, metal mining, electric power generation, chemical manufacturing and hazardous waste management.

In this case, the emission of chemical substances means that they are emitted into the air, discharged into the water or placed in some type of disposal unit. Chemical substances are those that are associated with the possible development of cancer or other chronic and acute effects on human health, as well as possible significant adverse effects on the environment. This layer makes it possible to identify the facilities that could be generating toxic emissions, what industrial sector they belong to, how many pounds of toxic emissions they generate, what type of chemical is used or processed, and if the emission is carcinogenic or not. “This information is of enormous value for communities, especially for school communities, since it allows, in collaboration with government agencies and private institutions, to generate prevention and health promotion projects, considering environmental and geographical factors. It also provides data that can help support studies on possible associations between chemical substances emitted and health aspects in populations.”, explained Dr. Disdier.

The “School Community Profile: The Interactive Map”, with this other additional layer and all the others, resides on the Puerto Rico Statistics Institute page and can be accessed at any time by interested parties at the following e-mail address: School community profile.

For technical questions about this tool, you can send an email to: preguntas@estadisticas.pr.

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