Conscious Choice: Why Johnny Can't Breathe

January 2001

Why Johnny Can't Breathe

by Donna Stone

There is an insidious danger lurking in many of our schools, and both affluent and poor districts are at risk. I am not talking about gangs, violence or drugs. This danger is unavoidable. It’s the air.

The harmful effects of outdoor air pollution are well known by the general public, but indoor air pollution can be two to five times, and in some cases, up to a hundred times greater than that in the air outside. The EPA’s Science Advisory Board has ranked indoor air pollution among the top five environmental risks to the public, and children’s developing minds and bodies are particularly susceptible to pollution. Most people spend up to 90 percent of their time indoors.

A 1999 U.S. General Accounting Office report on the conditions of America’s public schools found 43 percent of schools report at least one environmental problem. Mold caused by leaking roofs and plumbing; poorly maintained or designed heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems; and inadequate ventilation are just a few of the air quality problems that plague our schools.

The most often cited reason for lack of action, even when the problems are obvious, is a lack of funding. While older schools’ problems stem from age and disrepair, newly constructed or renovated schools also are susceptible to developing poor indoor air quality (IAQ). New carpets, particle board furniture, and plywood used in construction all contain chemicals that outgas and can be some of the worst offenders. Chemical pollutants from pesticides, herbicides, cleaning products, science and art supplies, and air fresheners, all add to the problem. In the most overcrowded schools, children are put into rooms that were never intended to be classrooms and lack the necessary ventilation. In fact, many classrooms may lack adequate ventilation. During the seventies, "tight" building practices were advocated to save energy. While they do cut heating and cooling costs, tight buildings do not allow enough ventilation for a healthful environment.

Sam Gutman, a public school art teacher, received a wake-up call when she realized that she had gone from running eight miles a day to being too tired to run at all. Gutman says, "I felt tired all the time, was nauseous, had rashes, headaches, muscle aches, was sick all the time." Most days after school, Gutman would be so exhausted she went home and straight to bed. Doctors offered diagnoses of fibromyalgia and asthma. Many of her fellow teachers were having similar health problems. Another odd thing she noticed were the many complaints among students of headaches, and a rise in asthma cases.

Gutman realized the increase in illness coincided with her school’s move into a new building. She noticed that during extended school vacations and after school was out, people she knew began to feel better. She suspected that something in the building was making people sick and began asking questions. As the result of her research, Gutman wrote her Master’s thesis, "Sick Building Syndrome and its Effect on Vermont Schools."

An article telling Gutman’s story was featured in the October 1997 issue of NEAToday magazine. After the story was published, teachers from across the nation wrote letters to Gutman seeking advice. She says, "It’s such a big problem nationwide! You just can’t imagine the conditions of some schools around the country."

Gutman tells of another teacher who is now permanently at home because of poor IAQ; but it wasn’t her school that had the problems; it was her children’s. The first sign of something amiss were the constant runny noses, headaches, and nosebleeds that the children were suddenly plagued with at the beginning of the new school year. Then, at the first parent/teacher conference, the children’s father, Paul, noticed obvious mold growth in several places along the hallways. Paul owns an HVAC business and knows a thing or two about indoor air quality, so he quickly made the connection. When he began to ask questions he found that some time earlier a storm had caused roof damage that had never been fully repaired. Leaks continued with every rain.

Paul says, "Teachers were telling me that they have complained repeatedly over the last two years with no results." It seemed many of his children’s classmates were having allergy-like health problems. Paul was met with misunderstanding from school administrators and soon became frustrated with the inaction regarding what he knew was a real health threat to the children attending this facility. Paul and his wife now homeschool their children, who are doing well. "Our children have not had a stuffy nose, nose bleeds or headaches, or even a cold since we removed them from the school," he says.

Every parent expects their child to catch a cold at some point while school is in session, and illnesses caused by environmental pollutants often mimic the viruses commonly spread in schools. Headaches, nausea, dizziness, lethargy, an increase in allergic-type symptoms can be caused by viruses — or by chemicals and pollutants that taint the air schoolchildren breathe. Children with allergies or asthma are likely to be sensitive to environmental hazards, as are those with a suppressed immune system. A combination of irritants can cause allergy overload, resulting in sensitivities to substances previously well-tolerated. A person suffering from allergy overload might suddenly begin reacting to perfume, cleaners, virtually anything and everything containing chemicals.

Dr. Richard E. Layton, M.D., treats many environmentally sensitive children in his practice. Dr. Layton says, "Although many children do get viral infections...a number of children and adults are suffering from Sick Building Syndrome and react to dust, molds, [or] chemicals." In his opinion, the leading medical journals do not focus nearly enough on environmental issues, so doctors do not readily recognize the illness as being related to an environmental cause. Diagnosis is not as simple as ordering a lab test. He says, "It is very difficult to objectively prove environmental illness."

Environmental illness may be the culprit when teachers’ and students’ symptoms are alleviated or improved on weekends and vacations. Another clue is illnesses that coincide with renovation or new construction of any sort, including carpet installation or painting. But different people may react differently to the same substance. Mold may give one a headache and runny nose yet cause vomiting in another.

Long-term effects may be even harder to identify as the result of exposure to indoor pollutants, but they can be serious. Some of the commonly found pollutants in pesticides, cleaners, and other materials used daily in schools around the nation are known to cause immune system and neurological problems or to put people at risk for cancer.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has developed guidelines for indoor air quality in schools, but these guidelines are strictly voluntary and not regulated by the EPA. Schools may follow, adjust, or disregard the guidelines. Some states have set their own guidelines, similar to those recommended by the EPA. The National Education Association Health Information Network works with schools to provide training and information on indoor air quality issues. Nevertheless, according to Christine Luong, representative of the NEA Health Information Network, IAQ in many schools can be improved by taking simple, low cost measures.

The EPA has developed a program, Tools for Schools, for the purpose of improving air quality without overburdening a school’s budget. It requires no special equipment and little training to implement. The program contains sections on diagnosing indoor air quality problems, correcting problems, and ways to avoid causing poor IAQ. Each school is entitled to the kit free, and can purchase additional kits from the EPA. Kits are available from the EPA, the NEA Health Information Network, or the National PTA. According to Luong, the biggest hurdle is not getting the information and training to the people who request it, it is getting school boards and administrators to even consider implementing the program. Stories about toxic molds and other drastic situations have administrators and school boards fearing that evaluating IAQ will lead to costly fixes. Coupled with a misunderstanding of the issue, this sometimes makes them reluctant to admit their school may have a problem. Luong says, "The underlying problem is lack of knowledge of what poor IAQ is."

Irene Wilkenfeld, a former teacher and the founder of Safe Schools, an environmental consulting firm, conducts workshops for schools addressing IAQ issues. Over the past few years Wilkenfeld has noticed improvement in parents and teachers being willing to push for safer schools. She stresses that the most important thing parents can do is to get involved and be advocates for their kids. Sam Gutman, too, has worked long and hard on this issue. She is concerned that many parents still are unaware of the serious hazards of indoor air pollution at school. She says, " Unless you or a loved one is effected by harmful exposures in a home or work environment, you don’t realize how important an issue this is."

Resources

IAQ "Tools for Schools" kit can be obtained from the EPA by calling 800-438-4318. An (incomplete) online version of the kit is also available

Integrated Pest Management in Schools

National Directory for IPM in schools, a state by state listing of IPM programs in schools and contact information

Donald Baumgartner, Region 5 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 312-886-7835, email: baumgartner.donald@epa.gov

National Education Association Health Information Network, 1201 16th Street NW, Suite 521, Washington DC 20036; Automated Resource Line: 800-718-8387, Voice: 202-822-7570

For Further Reading

Is This Your Child’s World? How You Can Fix the Schools and Homes That Are Making Your Children Sick, by Dr. Doris Rapp

The Clean Classroom: EPA Guidelines

• Ask whether your school has requested "Tools for Schools," their free kit to access and improve IAQ. The program can be implemented by teachers, nurses, or administrative staff.

• Request Material Safety Data Sheets on all chemicals used in the school. This includes cleaning and maintenance supplies, construction and renovation materials, and art and lab materials.

• State laws about pesticide application in schools varies state by state. Find out if your school uses Integrated Pest Management, a less toxic form of pest control. Ask when and where pesticides are applied.

• Custodians should use the least toxic products available. Chemicals in cleaners and air fresheners can cause severe problems for those who are sensitive.

• Construction activities should be planned to stir up the least amount of dust possible. Materials should be selected with care. Carpet and particle board cabinets have high levels of various chemicals that release fumes.

• The HVAC system should be routinely cleaned and properly maintained. A poorly maintained HVAC system can spread contaminants throughout a building.

• School supplies should be evaluated for safety. Copy machines, chemicals used in science class, dry erase markers, and some art supplies emit harmful substances.

• Classroom pets, dust, mold, personal care products, perfume, dust and chalk, radon, and mold are some of the allergens found in many typical classrooms.

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