Environmental Hazards in Your School | Recommendations for Action on Pollution and Education in Toronto | Lessons in Unclean Air: Sick Schools Pose Certain Risk — Why is sick building syndrome now common in schools?

Is This Your Child?: Discovering and Treating Unrecognized Allergies
Sources of Formaldehyde | Sources of Hydrocarbons | Sources of Phenol

WHY BE CONCERNED WITH INDOOR AIR QUALITY?

Background

It is common to think of air pollution solely in terms of outdoor pollution. However, in the 1970s and 1980s, EPA conducted several studies to determine individuals' total exposure to air contaminants from both indoor and outdoor sources. From these studies we learned that concentrations of important contaminants were often 2–5 times higher indoors than outdoors. Since most individuals spend over 90% of their time indoors, it is clear that indoor pollution is an important environmental health problem.

Higher energy costs encourage the development of tight buildings and a reduction in the amount of outdoor air brought into schools for ventilation. In addition, building operating and maintenance budgets are often reduced to minimal levels, particularly in schools. These actions, combined with the proliferation of indoor sources of contaminants - synthetic materials, cleaning agents, pesticides, printing and copying devices, combustion and humidification appliances, tobacco products, and other sources - reduce the quality of indoor air environments and consequently the health and comfort of building occupants.

Building sickness in schools

A building is characterized as "sick" when its occupants complain of health and comfort problems that can be related to working or being in the building. Problems associated with sick buildings are "sick building syndrome", in which the cause or causes of symptoms are not known; or "building related illness", in which an illness can be traced to a specific cause, such as Legionnaire's disease. Complaints can include headache, nausea, lethargy, eye, nose and throat irritation, difficulty in concentration, and similar symptoms. Many school buildings throughout the country have been affected, sometimes requiring temporary relocation or school closings.

From investigations of these buildings and from other studies, it is clear that the problem is often not traceable to a single source or a single contaminant, but rather to multiple problems in the design, construction, operation or maintenance of buildings. Studies also suggest that the problem is not limited to clear situations of episodic illness, but can result in decreased health, comfort, and productivity, for which poor indoor air quality may not be an obvious cause.

....

WHAT CAUSES INDOOR AIR QUALITY PROBLEMS IN SCHOOLS?

Important factors which affect the quality of the air in schools are:

1. indoor chemical sources of contaminants;

2. failure of the ventilation system to adequately dilute contaminants with outdoor air, to exhaust contaminant sources, to deliver ventilation air to the breathing zone of the occupants, or to maintain proper temperature and humidity conditions;

3. air brought into the building which is contaminated from outdoor sources, particularly those close to the building's air intake vents; and

4. the presence of microbial contaminants which proliferate in humid or wet environments.

The conclusion to this report states:

1. that polluted indoor and outdoor air can make some people sick

2. that many specific indoor and outdoor pollutants have been shown to be potential hazards for at least some people, including:

• nitrogen and sulphur dioxides

• exhaust fumes including carbon monoxide

• fibrous materials such as asbestos

• tobacco smoke

• polychlorinated biphenyls

• various pesticides and herbicides

• lead, cadmium, mercury and aluminum

• methanol

• formaldehyde [see page 8 of this report]

• assorted volatile hydrocarbons [see page 8 of this report]

• biological agents (viruses, fungi, bacteria)

• inhalant allergens (mold, dusts, danders)

3. that there is a wide range of vulnerability to pollutants among the population, and that sensitive individuals can be adversely affected at exposure levels below toxic limits

4. that the number of people who can be badly affected by indoor and outdoor pollutants is not known, but is sufficiently large that there may be some in every school

5. that some pollutant exposures can render an otherwise healthy person hypersensitive to chemical exposures

6. that other events can also trigger an increased susceptibility to pollutants (e.g., viral infection, yeast infection)

7. that many common pollutants are potentially neurotoxic, and may affect behaviour and learning

8. that many materials and activities in schools, including renovation, can cause sufficiently high pollution levels to adversely affect at least some staff and students, including:

• tobacco smoking

• painting

• use of pest control products

• science and industrial training activities

• art materials

• faulty heating systems

• cleaning products

• office copiers, especially methanol copiers

• floor coverings

• perfumes

9. that inadequate ventilation of areas with multiple pollution sources can lead to unacceptable conditions

10. that numerous other factors can also adversely affect behaviour and performance, including:

• nutritional deficiencies

• food allergy

• noise

• light and other electromagnetic radiation

• temperature and humidity

• psychological stress

11. the bottom line:
    Can pollution affect health, behaviour and learning?    YES.

... virtually no attention has been focused on the environmental school factors that may trigger hypersensitivity reactions and have an adverse affect on a child's ability to learn. And, until school-based environmental insults are substantially curtailed, our nation's youngsters will continue to fall short of our educational goals.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that about 30 percent of the nation's [US] schools have indoor air quality problems and are suffering from the sick school syndrome. The figure may be even higher for newly constructed or remodelled facilities.

Sources of Formaldehyde Adhesives Air pollution, i.e., industry Antifreezes Beverages, beer, wine Burning of gas, oil, wood, coal, kerosene, diesel fuel Carpets, carpet pads Cleaning solutions, detergents, laundry starches Clothing: polyester, artificial silk Construction adhesives Cosmetics, mouthwash, toothpaste, deodorants, nail polish, nail hardeners, shampoos Disinfectants, bactericides, fungicides, germicides, deodorizers (room or air) Dry-cleaning compounds Embalming fluids Explosives Exterior plywood, fabric dyes Fabrics: wrinkleproof, water-resistant, dye-fast, flame-resistant, moth-resistant, shrinkproof, elastic Fertilizers Furniture cabinets Gas appliances Gelatin capsules Hair-growing products, hair-setting lotions Household waxes, oils Inks Insect repellents, pesticides, rodent poison Jute or hemp fiber preservative (carpet backing, burlap, area rugs, rope, twine) Laminating materials Leather tanning agents Maple syrup (some varieties) Newsprint Paints, finger paints, enamels, tempera paints, lacquers, varnish removers, wood preservatives, wood stains, wood veneers Particleboard, chipboard, interior plywood, wood paneling Perfume Pharmaceuticals Phenol formaldehyde resin Photographic chemicals and film Plaster, stucco, wallboard, concrete, Bakelite, cellophane Plastics, plastic cleaners Shoe polish Tissues (facial), toilet paper Tobacco smoke, tobacco Upholstery fabrics and finishes (permanent press, water-repellent, dye-fast, flame-resistant, water-resistant, shrinkproof, mothproof, mildewproof) Upholstery foam Urea formaldehyde foam insulation (UFFI), glass-fiber insulation Vitamin E and A preparations [some] Wallpaper [most] Wines

Sources of Hydrocarbons Coal and petroleum products, including solids, liquids and gases Solids: a whole array of plastics, synthetic fabrics, roof tar, asphalt, wax coatings (used to coat some fruit and vegetables) Liquids: gasoline, diesel, and oil. (Industry uses a huge number of related petrochemicals.) Gases: natural and bottled gas; fumes from any of the hydrocarbon solids or liquids; odor from cleaning compounds, polishes, paints, insecticides; evaporating oil from an electric motor Auto and bus exhaust Chemicals used in copying and duplicating machines Art and decorating supplies Treated papers and adhesives Pine wood and turpentine (can affect people sensitive to hydrocarbons since coal, oil, and gas all developed from organic material) Disinfectant cleaning solutions

Sources of Phenol Acne medications Adhesives, glue Aerosols used as disinfectants for odor or mold control Allergy extract preservative in traditional allergy extract treatments Aspirin Bakelite Baking powders Caulking agents Detergents Disinfectants (pine) Dyes Epoxy and phenolic resins Explosives Fiberglas Flame-retardant finishes Food additives Inks: fountain pen, printers, stamp pads Insulation: thermal and acoustical Jute or hemp fiber preservative: carpet backing, area rugs, rope, twine Laundry starches Matches Metal polishes Mildew, mildew-proofing Molded-plastic articles, such as telephones and toys Mouthwashes Nylon Paints: enamel paint, tempera paint, watercolor paints Perfume Pesticides and herbicides Pharmaceuticals Phenolic plastics, such as hard saucepan handles Photographic chemicals Plastics Plywood Polyurethane Preservatives in cosmetics: mascara, liquid eye liner, cream rouges, and eye shadows Preservatives in hair care products: hair spray, setting lotion, shampoo, hair color Preservatives in medication: nose and throat sprays, bronchial mists, cough syrups, eye drops, antihistamines, cold capsules, decongestants, first-aid ointments Shaving cream and lotions Shoe polishes Spandex: girdles, support hose, etc. Synthetic detergents Synthetic fabrics Tin cans (inner lining) Tobacco smoke Wood preservatives, sealants, solvents

Environmental Hazards in Your School | Recommendations for Action on Pollution and Education in Toronto | Lessons in Unclean Air: Sick Schools Pose Certain Risk — Why is sick building syndrome now common in schools?

Is This Your Child?: Discovering and Treating Unrecognized Allergies
Sources of Formaldehyde | Sources of Hydrocarbons | Sources of Phenol