What Are the Causes of Air Pollution in Schools?

Children's exposure to environmental contaminants can have long-term effects on their growth and development. Many attend schools that fail tests of environmental health and safety. School air quality can be affected by pollution from many sources, including nearby industry, vehicle exhaust, mold and mildew, pesticides, even outgassing of toxins from furniture, paint and floor coverings.

Industrial Pollution

• In 2008, USA Today correlated the locations of nearly 128,000 public and private schools across the U.S. with emissions data drawn from toxicity reports from more than 20,000 large industrial and government facilities recording exposures to carcinogens and other toxins. The researchers then monitored air quality at nearly 100 schools in locations with high exposure to industrial pollutants. The results, reported in December 2009, showed that children and teachers in many U.S. schools face daily exposure to pollution that can cause brain damage, asthma, cancer and other illnesses.

Traffic-Related Toxins

• Students who attend schools located near high-volume thoroughfares run a 45 percent greater risk of developing asthma than children whose exposure to traffic-related pollution is less pronounced. A 2009 study showed that children's risk of developing asthma from exposure to these exhaust toxins at school equals their risk at home, despite spending fewer hours at school. Various factors contribute to these results, including increased respiration caused by heightened physical activity during school-day exercise and the air tightness of buildings designed for energy efficiency.

Curricular Risks in Technical Classrooms and Schools

• Environmental risks toward young children's development and school staff health are far from the only such toxin hazards presented in school settings. Technology education presents additional risks to older children, including fumes from welding and soldering equipment; emissions and particulates from wood shops; kitchens; hairdressing classrooms and HVAC classrooms; and other toxins associated with vocational studies. Even adult students can face these risks if they attend proprietary educational institutions or trade-school classes.

Environmental Resources for Schools

• Since 1995, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) has offered the Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Tools for Schools Program to help individual schools and school districts pinpoint and resolve problems with indoor air quality. The program includes videos, literature and software designed to assist in involving children and adults in understanding pollutant risks, addressing emergencies, assessing buildings and grounds and finding and remediating ongoing problems. These materials are available free of charge.