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Indoor Air Quality in Schools:

Indoor Air Quality in Schools:. Improving the Air Our Children Breathe Toni Herring Bounds, PhD, MPH Director, Communicable & Environmental Disease Services East Tennessee Region Tennessee Department of Health Knoxville, TN. Indoor Air Quality. We spend 90% of our time indoors

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Indoor Air Quality in Schools:

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  1. Indoor Air Quality in Schools: Improving the Air Our Children Breathe Toni Herring Bounds, PhD, MPH Director, Communicable & Environmental Disease Services East Tennessee Region Tennessee Department of Health Knoxville, TN

  2. Indoor Air Quality • We spend 90% of our time indoors • Indoor air quality is worse than ambient air quality • EPA ranks indoor air pollution as one of the top five environmental health risks to the public • Children are especially vulnerable Toni Herring Bounds, PhD, MPH TN Department of Health

  3. Consequences of Poor Indoor Air Quality in Schools • Health problems • Student and teacher performance • Loss of public trust • Liability issues • Negative media coverage • Accountability to school board and other officials Toni Herring Bounds, PhD, MPH TN Department of Health

  4. Indoor Air Hazards Building Materials Molds Cleaning Agents Bacteria/Viruses Pesticides Radon Copiers Printers Allergens Lead Dust Mites Asbestos Toni Herring Bounds, PhD, MPH TN Department of Health

  5. Background • East Tennessee Health Region receives complaints that children are sick at school • Parents believe that mold is the problem • Other indoor air quality hazards are not considered • EPA recommends Indoor Air Quality Maintenance Programs Toni Herring Bounds, PhD, MPH TN Department of Health

  6. Shifting the Burden Things are OK now that the mold is gone. It must be mold Clean up mold *Children still sick *Increased Public Pressure Focus on mold B *IAQ problem solved *No IAQ resources Children are sick at school *Use resources *Reduce IAQ budget *No additional resources Devote resources to IAQ B Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) We need to address overall indoor air quality. Not just mold. Indoor Air Quality in Schools: Improving the Air Our Children Breathe Toni Herring Bounds, PhD, MPH TN Department of Health

  7. Background East Tennessee Health Region consists of: • 15 counties • 21 school systems • 230 public schools • 1600 school children Toni Herring Bounds, PhD, MPH TN Department of Health

  8. Indoor Air Quality in Schools: Improving the Air Our Children Breathe Problem Statement: East Tennessee Health Region school systems need Indoor Air Quality Management Systems to insure that schools have good indoor air quality providing a healthy environment for East Tennessee school children. Toni Herring Bounds, PhD, MPH TN Department of Health

  9. Indoor Air Quality in Schools: Improving the Air Our Children Breathe Goal: Increase the number of Indoor Air Quality Management Programs in the East Tennessee Health Region school systems Toni Herring Bounds, PhD, MPH TN Department of Health

  10. Indoor Air Quality in Schools: Improving the Air Our Children Breathe Planned Events: • Implement an indoor air hazards health educational program • Establish associations of local organizations that will enable school systems to develop Indoor Air Quality Management Programs • Implement Indoor Air Quality Management Programs in at least two East Tennessee Health Region school systems identified by the Indoor Air Quality Needs Assessment Survey Toni Herring Bounds, PhD, MPH TN Department of Health

  11. Indoor Air Quality in Schools: Improving the Air Our Children Breathe Next Steps: • Expand partnerships • Develop resources (EPA Tools for Schools) • Increase indoor air quality awareness • Implement Indoor Air Quality Maintenance Programs in ETHR schools Toni Herring Bounds, PhD, MPH TN Department of Health

  12. Indoor Air Quality in Schools: Improving the Air Our Children Breathe References: • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Indoor Air Quality Tools For Schools Action Kit, 402-K-95-001, 2nd ed. Washington, DC. August 2000. • The Tennessee Department of Education. The Tennessee School Report Card 2004, Nashville, TN, May 2005. • National Association of Counties. The County Official’s Indoor Air Quality Handbook, The Indoor air Quality Program, Washington, DC. January 2005. • Acknowledgements: • Paul C. Erwin, MD, MPH (ET Health Region) • Sericea S. Smith, MPH (UT Graduate School) • East Tennessee Health Region School Maintenance Directors • Lashon Blakely (EPA District IV - Tools for Schools) Toni Herring Bounds, PhD, MPH TN Department of Health

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