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Indoor Air Pollution, Our Children, and Their Schools

Rodney S. Jones, Jr., Ph.D(c) Environmental Health PUBH-8165-1 Walden University. Indoor Air Pollution, Our Children, and Their Schools.

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Indoor Air Pollution, Our Children, and Their Schools

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  1. Rodney S. Jones, Jr., Ph.D(c) Environmental Health PUBH-8165-1 Walden University Indoor Air Pollution, Our Children, and Their Schools

  2. This presentation is intended to educate teachers and parents on the dangers and potential adverse consequences that poor school Environmental Health policies and standards have on our children’s health and academic performance, especially as it relates to Indoor Air Quality (IAQ). Purpose

  3. Objectives • Educate parents and teachers on IAQ Issues • Empower parents and teachers to bring issues to the attention of policy makers • Give teachers simple fixes to improve IAQ in their classrooms

  4. Audience and Stakeholders • These groups and individuals have a vested interest in identifying and mitigating Environmental Health hazards and their effects, and also in sustaining policies and standards which protect children in schools. • Target Audience • Parents and Teachers • Collateral Stakeholders • Students • State Legislatures • U.S. Department of Education • Environmental Protection Agency • National Institute of Health • State, City, and County School Agencies

  5. Types of Contaminants and Pollutants • Indoor Air Pollutants (IAP) • Formaldehyde • Biological Pollutants e.g. dust mites, mold, fungus • Asbestos • Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) • Combust product from heating systems e.g. carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide • Cleaning and disinfecting agents

  6. IAQ Statistics • An EPA economic analysis of repairs performed at an elementary school showed that if $370 per year over 22 years (a total of $8,140) had been spent on preventive maintenance, $1.5 million in repairs could have been avoided.*EPA Indoor Environments Division, Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools: Actions to Improve IAQ (September 1999) • Twenty percent of the U.S. population, nearly 55 million people, spend their days in elementary and secondary schools. *EPA Indoor Environments Division, Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools: Actions to Improve IAQ (September 1999) • One-half of our nation’s 115,000 schools have problems linked to indoor air quality. *EPA Indoor Environments Division, IAQ Tools for Schools: Actions to Improve IAQ(September 1999) • Indoor levels of air pollutants can be 2-5 times higher, and occasionally 100 times higher, than outdoor levels.*EPA Indoor Environments Division, Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools: Actions to Improve IAQ (September 1999) • Indoor air pollution consistently ranks among the top five environmental risks to public health.*EPA Indoor Environments Division, Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools: Actions to Improve IAQ (September 1999)

  7. IAQ Statistics, cont. • Poor indoor air quality can cause illness-requiring absence from school, and can cause acute health symptoms that decrease performance while at school. *EPA Indoor Environments Division, Indoor Air Quality and Student Performance (August 2000) • Indoor air quality can reduce a person's ability to perform specific mental tasks requiring concentration, calculation, or memory. • *EPA Indoor Environments Division, Indoor Air Quality and Student Performance (August 2000) • More than 10 million days of school missed due to allergy and asthma symptoms associated with IAP. • *EPA: Indoor Air Quality and School Performance, 2000

  8. IAQ Standards None

  9. Causes and Sources of IAP • Causes • Failure to control temperature and humidity in classrooms and school facilities • Failure to properly ventilate classroom areas • Failure to adequately perform housekeeping and building maintenance • Failure to use alternative to pesticides for pest management • Nearby use of pesticides and chemicals • Sources • Pressed Wood Furniture • Carpet • Cleaning Supplies • Art supplies (paints, glues, varnishes) • Malfunctioning or Old HVAC and furnaces

  10. Health Effects of IAP • Short-term Effects • Immediate: irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat, headaches, dizziness, and fatigue • Respiratory Infections • Allergic reactions to Biological Pollutants and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) • Long-term Effects • Respiratory Disease e.g. asthma • Heart Disease • Cancer

  11. IAP’s Effects on Performance • Decreased ability to: • concentrate on, • memorize, and • process information • Increased Absenteeism • Loss of Motivation

  12. Benefits of Good IAQ • Reduced absenteeism • Improved student and staff concentration • Improved student productivity and performance (i.e. test scores) • Decreased IAQ-related health risks from exposure to indoor pollutants • Reduced environmental triggers of asthma • Reduced respiratory illness

  13. What Can Parents Do? • Visit the school and observe the facilities • Ask for a copy of the schools IAQ Plan • Ask how the school superintendant rate the school IAQ in the annual report • Join the PTA • Address the issue with the school board • Engage teachers and school administrators • Address the Issue with State and County law makers • Ask yourself these question: • Is your child coughing and sneezing more? • Is your child experiencing increased allergies • Does your child feel better during the weekend • away from school? • Is your child experiencing increased upper • respiratory problems? • Consult your family physician if you suspect Sick Building Syndrome

  14. What Can Teachers Do? • Use IAQ teacher’s tool from the U.S. EPA • Learn as much as you can about indoor air quality. • Record colleagues' complaints about illnesses; look for patterns, such as significantly higher absenteeism in winter when buildings are closed up. • Be sure classrooms are tested for radon. • Be sure the school's ventilation filters are replaced at least four times each year. • Ask that the school district warn of possible side effects to pesticide and chemical use before spraying. • Be aware that pets in the classroom can trigger allergic reactions. • Be aware that new carpeting and wall fabric can • contain formaldehyde.

  15. Resources • EPA Teacher’s Classroom Checklist • http://www.epa.gov/iaq/schools/pdfs/kit/checklists/teacherchklst.pdf • Parents Advocacy Checklist • http://www.ctpta.org/legislative/PAChecklist.pdf • EPA Site for School IAQ • http://yosemite.epa.gov/ochp/ochpweb.nsf/content/homepage.htm • USA Today Website on School IAQ • http://content.usatoday.com/news/nation/environment/smokestack/index • EPA IAQ Site for Parents • http://www.epa.gov/iaq/schools/parents.html • EPA IAQ Site for Teachers • http://www.epa.gov/iaq/schools/teachers.html

  16. Bibliography • Shaughnessy, R.J., et al., "A preliminary study on the association between ventilation rates in classrooms and student performance". Indoor Air, 2006. 16(5): p. 465-468. • Federspiel, C.C., et al., "Worker performance and ventilation in a call center: analyses of work performance data for registered nurses". Indoor Air, 2004. 14 Suppl 8: p. 41-50. • Wargocki, P. and D.P. Wyon, "The effects of outdoor air supply rate and supply air filter condition in classrooms on the performance of schoolwork by children". HVAC&R Research, 2007. 13(2): p. 165-191. • Murakami, S., et al. "Study on the productivity in the classroom (part 1) field survey of the effects of air quality /thermal environment on learning performance", in Healthy Buildings 2006. 2006: Lisbon, Portugal. p. 271-276. • CTPTA. 2009. Parent Advocacy Checklist.http://www.ctpta.org/legislative/PAChecklist.pdf • Sharon Cromwell. 2006. Fighting for Better Indoor Air Quality in Schools. Education World. http://www.educationworld.com/a_admin/admin/admin069.shtml • Environmental Protection Agency. 2009. Benefits of Good IAQ. IAQ Tools for Schools Program. http://www.epa.gov/iaq/schools/benefits.html#Increased%20Student%20Performance

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