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Healthy Homes, Schools and Communities

Healthy Homes, Schools and Communities. Mansel A Nelson Tribal Environmental Education Outreach Program Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals Northern Arizona University. Indoor Air in Tribal Communities. Indoor Air Quality Assessment at Tohono O ’ Odham.

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Healthy Homes, Schools and Communities

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  1. Healthy Homes, Schools and Communities Mansel A Nelson Tribal Environmental Education Outreach Program Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals Northern Arizona University nau.edu/iaqtc

  2. Indoor Air in Tribal Communities Indoor Air Quality Assessment at Tohono O’Odham nau.edu/iaqtc • Introduction to Our Lungs • Healthy Homes • Healthy Schools • Healthy Communities • Special Topics • Asthma • Radon • Mold

  3. Our Lungs Our lungs are directly connected to the environment. People breath continuously (Breathing is NOT optional) Oxygen & carbon-dioxide pass through very thin walls of alveoli But, any gas (poisonous ones, too) can pass through alveoli walls And, very small particles can also pass through alveoli walls nau.edu/iaqtc

  4. Cardiovascular Connection Gases and small particles distributed widely after entering bloodstream If lungs are not functioning properly, heart must work harder

  5. Healthy Homes nau.edu/iaqtc

  6. Personal Care/Cosmetics TVs & Computers Furniture An Ordinary House A Chemical House Automobile Carpeting Cleaning Products & Pesticides Furniture Flooring

  7. Air Pollution Levels in Homes Pollution inside typical home 2–5x worse than outdoors Levels may be 1,000x background outdoor after various activities Indoor air pollution one of top 5 most-serious environmental risks to public health Fifty percent (50%) of all illnesses traced back to home

  8. Sources of Pollutants Average American household uses 40 lbs of chemicals each year Average household stores more than 60 hazardous products Loaded with fragrances and petroleum-distilled chemicals Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)

  9. Pollutants – Air Fresheners Interfere with ability to smell by way of nerve-deadening agent Coat nasal passages with undetectable oil film Cover up one smell with another (Rarely) break down offensive odor Air fresheners do little to freshen the air

  10. Healthy Schools Promote a healthy learning environment at your school to reduce absenteeism, improve test scores and enhance student and staff productivity. nau.edu/iaqtc

  11. What are pollutant sources in tribal schools? • People - everyone is a source of pollutants • Personal care products • Students & staff with communicable diseases • Radon • Classroom pets • Excess moisture leading to mold • Dry-erase markers and chalk • Cleaning materials • Odors from paint, caulk, and adhesives • Insects and other pests • Odors from trash • Outdoor pollutants nau.edu/iaqtc

  12. What is the EPA IAQ TfS Program? • Guides & Check lists for: • IAQ Coordinator • Teachers • Administrators • Maintenance staff • Health staff • Video Collection: • Action plan • Ventilation basics • Walk through guide nau.edu/iaqtc IAQ Tools for Schools Action Kit www.epa.gov/iaq/schools/actionkit.html

  13. Healthy Communities Improve health in communities related to air quality Reduce exposure to cigarette smoke nau.edu/iaqtc

  14. Leading Cause of Lung Cancer • Smoking is leading cause of lung cancer  • Causes an estimated 160,000 deaths in the U.S. every year (American Cancer Society, 2004  • Harms nearly every bodily organ • Causing many diseases, degrades health • Estimated 438,000 deaths (nearly 1 of 5 deaths) each year in U.S. • More than by all deaths from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), illegal drug use, alcohol use, motor vehicle injuries, suicides, and murders combined www.nau.edu/eeop

  15. Surgeon General Report Second-Hand Smoke • Millions of Americans, children and adults, still exposed to second-hand smoke • Second-hand smoke exposure causes disease and premature death in children and adults who do not smoke • Exposure of adults to secondhand smoke has immediate adverse effects • Cardiovascular system and causes • Coronary heart disease • Lung cancer www.nau.edu/eeop

  16. Surgeon General Report Second-Hand Smoke The scientific evidence indicates there is no risk-free level of exposure to secondhand smoke www.nau.edu/eeop

  17. Surgeon General Report Second-Hand Smoke • Eliminating smoking in indoor spaces fully protects nonsmokers • Following actions DO Not protect nonsmokers • Separating smokers from nonsmokers • Cleaning the air • Ventilating buildings www.nau.edu/eeop

  18. Asthma in Tribal CommunitiesProtecting the health of the next generation. • 1 CDC. Surveillance for asthma---United States, 1980--1999. In: CDC Surveillance Summaries (March 29). MMWR 2002;51(No. SS-1). • 2 Asthma Prevalence Among US Children in Underrepresented Minority Populations: American Indian/Alaska Native, Chinese, Filipino, and Asian Indian. Brim, Rudd, Funk, and Callahan. PEDIATRICS: 122(1). July 2008, pp. e217-e222. nau.edu/iaqtc 12% of people living in tribal communities Compared to the current national average of 7%.1 13.0% of American Indian/AlaskaNative children Compared to 8.9% of children in the U.S. 2

  19. Asthma • Many potential triggers are air pollutants • Inflammation of airways • Blocking, narrowing airways, mucous nau.edu/iaqtc

  20. What makes Asthma Worse? www.cliver.com nau.edu/iaqtc Allergens such as: • Dust mites • Cockroaches • Furred and feathered animals • Pollens (grass and trees) • Molds (indoor and outdoors) • Nitrogen dioxide

  21. What makes Asthma Worse? nau.edu/iaqtc Irritants such as: • Environmental tobacco smoke • Air pollution including wood smoke • Scented products • Strong fumes or odors

  22. Radon • Radioactive gas • Radon in air is ubiquitous • Found in outdoor air and indoor air of buildings of all kinds  • No known safe level of radon www.radonleaders.org www.nau.edu/eeop

  23. Radon “Daughters” Radon, Polonium, Lead, Bismuth, and Polonium have short half-lives Results in several exposures in a short time www.nau.edu/eeop

  24. Radon Testing Radon test kits for tribal communities can be ordered online at http://www.nau.edu/iaqtc www.nau.edu/eeop

  25. Radon Mitigation www.nau.edu/eeop

  26. Mold nau.edu/iaqtc

  27. Mold • Molds live in the soil, on plants, on dead or decaying organic matter • Outdoors - breaks down leaves, wood, plant debris • Indoors - air pollution and destroys buildings nau.edu/iaqtc

  28. Mold Basics - Health • People have lots of different reactions to mold • Symptoms can include allergic reactions, asthma, and other respiratory complaints • Molds can be found almost anywhere nau.edu/iaqtc

  29. Mold Basics - Cleaning • Clean up the mold and eliminate sources of moisture • Clean mold off hard surfaces with water and detergent, and dry completely • Absorbent materials such as ceiling tiles may need to be replaced nau.edu/iaqtc • Mold growth begins within 24-48 hours of getting wet • Protect staff and building occupants during cleanup cleaningnetwork.com

  30. Resources from ITEP nau.edu/iaqtc • Air Quality Outreach Program (nau.edu/eeop) • Indoor Air Quality in Tribal Communities (IAQTC) • Technical Assistance • Web resources (nau.edu/iaqtc) • Radon Testing (nau.edu/iaqtc) • American Indian Air Quality Training Program (nau.edu/itep)

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