Indoor air quality contaminants in schools can impact
the health and performance of children and teachers.
Some of the consequences of an unhealthy school
environment include:
• Difficulties in student learning
• High rate of absenteeism
• Unexplained tiredness or lethargy
• Health problems including asthmatic attacks, nose
bleeds, headaches, skin irritations, and flu like
symptoms.
How do I know if my child is studying in a contaminated
environment?
• Portable extensions: schools with inadequate
space often use portable extensions or trailers as classrooms.
Most of these portables are not designed for weather conditions.
As a result of rain or condensation, mould can grow quickly
in portables and lead to unhealthy classroom conditions.
• Changes in health: A contaminated classroom environment
can result in your child feeling sick while inside the
classroom, but healthy within the outside or home environment.
Sometimes, the symptoms may be continuous and persist
even while he or she is at home. Common symptoms include
increased asthma attacks, allergic reactions, frequent nose bleeds, skin irritations,
itchy or watery eyes, and difficulty breathing. If your
child already has health problems, being in an unhealthy
environment can make their health even worse.
• Changes in performance: Performance in school is linked
to a number of factors. While an unhealthy environment
is not always the cause of poor performance in school,
research has shown that children studying in an unhealthy
environment tend to find concentration more difficult.
General comfort factors such as temperature, ventilation,
and relative humidity are also important in ensuring that
your child has the conditions most conducive to studying
and concentrating.
What are common contaminants that can be found in schools?
There are a large number of contaminants that
can be found in school environments. A few include:
• Mould
• High dust loads (use of chalk is a common source)
• Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) such as formaldehyde.
These materials are used in building materials, paints,
and cleaning materials.
• Pesticides/Herbicides
What can I do if I suspect an unhealthy school
environment?
To
maintain a healthy school environment requires the
participation of everyone. If you suspect that your
school is an unhealthy environment or that it has indoor
air quality issues, talk to the teachers or staff. The
Environmental Protection Agency has developed the Indoor
Air Quality Tools for Schools kit that shows schools how
to implement a plan of action to improve indoor air
problems. Many of the actions can be done at little or
no cost using readily available resources. The guidance
provided by the Tools for Schools kit can help schools
save time and money so that they can focus resources on
what is most important: providing quality education. Ask
about the Tools for Schools kit or visit the EPA website
to learn more and download the material yourself! Visit:
http://www.epa.gov/iaq/schools/
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