Children are regularly exposed to environmental toxins in and around schools and day care centers. These exposures generally come from cleaning products, pesticides and diesel exhaust from school buses while they are idling outside the school as well as in transit.

CLEANING PRODUCTS

Unlike homes, schools are cleaned every twenty-four hours, and as children sprawl on desks, cafeteria tables and floors, they come into direct contact with the products used to clean those surfaces. In schools with limited fresh air the cleaning process can also create indoor air quality problems. Many of the most commonly used cleaners and disinfectants contain chemicals that are known to cause both acute and long term health problems.

The Childsafe Guidelines are designed to help school administrators and facilities directors choose cleaning products which are healthy and safe for children. To view a list of products that meet these guidelines, click here.

Making "environmentally preferable" purchases of cleaning products can be a daunting process, considering the existing laws that protect manufacturers from full disclosure of the ingredients in their formulations. The EPA only requires that the active ingredients (usually comprising less than 5% of the product) are listed on the label, but these are certainly not the only ingredients with potential health risks. See our page on Common Exposures: Cleaning Products


PESTICIDES

Most school districts employ some type of regular pest control, including the use of insecticides for indoor pest problems and turf care pesticides for playing fields. Although many schools nationwide are moving towards reducing their dependence on pesticides through Integrated Pest Management (IPM), the use of pesticides in and around schools is still one of the most significant health risks for children. IPM does allow the use of pesticides if other, less toxic solutions do not solve the particular pest problem. However, a custodial staff may find it easier to use a pesticide than keeping up with housekeeping, so an IPM program is only as good as the person administering it. Schools could easily follow an Organic Pest Management program, with limited waivers for serious pest infestations or public health emergencies. See our page on Common Exposures: Pesticides

DIESEL EXHAUST

New studies show that children are at risk from exposure to diesel exhaust on school buses, waiting to board while school buses are idling, and inside schools where the exhaust has entered through doors and windows. Diesel exhaust contains more than 40 chemicals listed as hazardous air pollutants under the Clean Air Act, including chemicals that cause cancer, respiratory illnesses and birth defects. Recent studies confirmed that exposure to diesel exhaust is associated with an increase in the frequency and severity of asthma attacks. Nearly 4.8 million school children suffer from asthma.

While emission testing of buses is not required by federal law, and enforcement of state idling laws is neither monitored or enforced, individual school districts may make their own regulations concerning school bus idling. See our page on Common Exposures: Diesel

Our comprehensive ChildSafe School program is designed to help parents, teachers and administrators reduce or eliminate these toxins in schools.

LINKS & RESOURCES

Environment and Human Health, Inc. This non-profit has an impressive report called Children's Exposure to Diesel Exhaust on School Buses and a flyer called Twelve Steps Toward a Healthier School which is a wonderful guide to the potential hazards in school environments. Both publications are useful for activists working with school districts. www.ehhi.org

Beyond Pesticides This national non-profit publishes a bi-monthly bulletin called the School Pesticide Monitor and offers a comprehensive step-by-step guide called Building Blocks for School IPM ($15) www.beyondpesticides.org

The Labour Environmental Alliance Society This Canadian organization seeks to create healthy workspaces and developed a checklist for evaluating toxins in the school. www.leas.ca/Toxic-Free-Schools.htm

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