Improving Indoor Air Quality In America's Schools

Jocelyn M. Miner

Indoor Air Quality Matters - Especially for Children

Most people understand how poor outdoor air quality can cause issues for our health, but there is less focus on how indoor air quality can be even more impactful. Humans-- especially children-- spend most of their time indoors, so indoor air quality (IAQ) is an area of concern in the development of respiratory issues (Breysse et al., 2010).

During the COVID-19 pandemic, it's been made more salient that indoor air quality in our schools must be improved. With many children back to in-person schools but still awaiting vaccination against COVID-19, efforts are being made to mitigate air quality concerns (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2021). Along with universal masking, proper air flow and ventilation are essential in the mitigation of COVID-19 spread, as well as the overall health of children (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2021).

Aside from COVID-19, the reduction of allergens and toxins in classrooms can help prevent the development of asthma and other problems associated with poor air quality (Breysse et al., 2010).

It is particularly important to address the issue for children in schools, for several reasons:

Children spend up to 90% of their time indoors (Breysse et al., 2010).
Children breathe 2-3 times more breaths per minute than adults, taking in more pollution (Gough, 2019).
Children’s lungs and blood-brain barrier are not yet fully developed (Gough, 2019).

Everyone Deserves to Breathe Clean Air

Infographic by AndaTech Distribution

Impacts of Poor Indoor Air Quality in Schools

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (2020) has identified some impacts of poor indoor air quality for schools:

Poor student attendance
School closures
Potential for long-term health problems among children and staff
Expensive repairs
Poor learning environment
Liability issues
High expenses

Being proactive about replacing old HVAC systems and improving indoor air quality can save money and prevent the above (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2020).

Poor Indoor Air Quality Disproportionately Impacts Students Experiencing Poverty, Students of Color, and Girls

Households with lower socioeconomic status were found to experience greater likelihood of poor indoor air quality than more affluent households -- and children are worse off than adults when it comes to poor health outcomes from air quality issues (Ferguson et al, 2020). With such a high percentage of American students considered low-Income, the scope of the problem is massive.

Map and data by Suitts, S. & Southern Education Foundation

Racial Disparities of Asthma Prevalence

Not all groups are equally impacted by asthma and poor indoor air quality-- some are more vulnerable than others. The data graph on the left shows that Black women and girls have the highest prevalence for asthma in the United States (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2019). Asthma can be worsened by indoor air pollutants (Breysse et al, 2010).

Air Ventilation in Schools

Video by UC Davis Energy

Watch this video from UC Davis (2020) to learn how increasing air ventilation in schools can support student performance, improve respiratory health, decrease disease transmission, and more.

Updates are Sorely Needed

Estimated Percentage of Public School Districts in Which at Least Half the Schools Need Updates or Replacements of Selected School Building Systems and Features

Chart and data by US Goverenment Accountability Office

The Government Accountability Office published a report in 2020 on the state of critical building systems and features in K-12 schools. Shown above: a concerning percentage of schools need HVAC upgrades.

The Upside: What's Being Done Right Now

Photo by Katerina Holmes from Pexels

Funding for Schools

In October 2020, New Mexico senator Martin Heinrich introduced the Keeping Schools Safe Act, which would allot $1 billion in Department of Education grants to fund upgrades that would support the improvement of indoor air quality in elementary and secondary schools (Beverly, 2020). Not only would this bill--if passed-- give schools with the ability to purchase and install new equipment, it would also provide schools with guidance on how to figure out which upgrades are needed to begin with. The bill would help support local measures (which vary from place to place) that have been taken to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 through improvement of air quality in schools.

In 2021, the Department of Education released the American Rescue Plan, which provides infrastructure funding for schools and universities that can be used to improve indoor air quality. President Biden's Build Back Better plan would further support these efforts (US Department of Education, 2021).

A bipartisan majority supported the American Rescue Plan, but the Build Back Better plan and Keeping Schools Safe Act are facing more pushback amid inflation concerns (Kapur & Tsirkin, 2021). This situation is still unfolding; time will tell whether these initiatives are put into place.

How is the Funding Being Used?

From US Department of Education

American Rescue Plan funding is available NOW for all kinds of infrastructure improvements! Not only will this help with COVID-19 mitigation, but will have carry-over benefits for reducing the likelihood of other poor health outcomes (US Department of Education, 2021).

Resources

American Academy of Pediatrics (2021, July 19). American Academy of Pediatrics updates recommendations for opening schools in fall 2021. Retrieved
Dec. 9, 2021 from: https://www.aap.org/en/news-room/news-releases/aap/2021/american-academy-of-pediatrics-updates-recommendations- for-opening-schools-in-fall-2021/
Beverly, R. (2020, November 16). Senate bill aims for school IAQ: $1 billion proposal includes technical guidance and money to aid scattershot school COVID response. Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration News, 271(6), 20+. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A653180657/GPS? u=oregon_oweb&sid=bookmark-GPS&xid=cfc25d96
Breysse, P. N., Diette, G. B., Matsui, E. C., Butz, A. M., Hansel, N. N., & McCormack, M. C. (2010). Indoor air pollution and asthma in children. Proceedings of the American Thoracic Society, 7(2), 102–106. https://doi.org/10.1513/pats.200908-083RM
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2006). Healthy housing reference manual. Indoor air pollutants and toxic materials. Retrieved Dec. 9,
2021 from: https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/publications/books/housing/cha05.htm
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2019). Data, statistics, and surveillance: Asthma surveillance data. Retrieved Dec. 9, 2021 from:
https://www.cdc.gov/asthma/asthmadata.htm
Ferguson, L., Taylor, J., Davies, M., Shrubsole, C., Symonds, P., Dimitroulopoulou, S. (2020). Exposure to indoor air pollution across socio-economic groups in high-income countries: A scoping review of the literature and a modelling methodology, Environment International, Volume 143, 105748, ISSN 0160-4120, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2020.105748.
Gough, J (2019). Toxic air is harming our children with every breath they take. United Nations Children's Fund. Retrieved Dec. 9, 2021 from:
https://www.unicef.org/rosa/stories/toxic-air-harming-our-children-every-breath-they-take
Kapur, S. & Tsirkin, J. (2021). Democrats rebrand Build Back Better bill to counter inflation concerns. NBC News. Retrieved Dec. 9, 2021 from: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/democrats-rebrand-build-back-better-bill-counter-inflation-concerns-n1284001
Suitts, S. (2015). Majority of nation's public school students now low-income. Southern Spaces. Retrieved Dec. 9, 2021 from:
https://southernspaces.org/2015/majority-nations-public-school-students-now-low-income/
United States Department of Education (2021). Improving ventilation in schools, colleges, and universities to prevent COVID-19. Retrieved from: https://www.ed.gov/coronavirus/improving-ventilation
United States Department of Education (2021). Department of Education releases resource to help schools improve ventilation systems to prevent COVID-19. Retrieved Dec. 9, 2021 from: https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/department-education-releases-resource-help-schools- improve-ventilation-systems-prevent-covid-19
United States Government Accountability Office (2020). K-12 Education: School districts frequently Identified multiple building systems needing updates or replacement. Report to Congressional Addressees. Retrieved Dec. 9, 2021 from: https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-20-494.pdf
United States Environmental Protection Agency (2021). Creating healthy indoor air quality in schools. Retrieved Dec. 9, 2021 from: https://www.epa.gov/iaq-schools
United States Environmental Protection Agency (2021). Take action to improve indoor air quality in schools. Retrieved from: https://www.epa.gov/iaq-schools/take-action-improve-indoor-air-quality-schools

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