Reduced Exposure to Toxins Overview
Why Does Reducing Toxins in Schools Matter?
One-in-six people in the United States visit a school building on a daily basis, and school facilities are the second most invested in infrastructure sector by local and state governments (after highways). There are over 100,000 school buildings and nearly two million acres of land; however, many of these are in need of modernization to be resource efficient and promote health and safety of occupants. Well designed and maintained school buildings decrease absenteeism, improve student learning outcomes, and improve indoor environmental quality (America's K-12 Facilities, 2016). Reducing toxins in both indoor and outdoor spaces through cleaning and pest management can contribute to reducing health conditions such as asthma, headaches, and respiratory disease.
Key Mandates
What are the key mandates and policies related to reducing toxins in schools?
The Healthy Schools Act: This right-to-know law provides parents and staff with information about pesticide use taking place at public schools and child care centers. References are in AB 2260 (2000) AB 405 (2005), AB 2865 (2006), and SB 1405 (2014).
Construction and renovation projects must meet the building codes enforced by the California Division of State Architects (DSA). California's building code (Title 24: Part 11) sets green building standards for school facilities.
Indoor Environmental Quality: AB 1173 led to extensive Indoor Air Quality recommendations for schools (pre-COVID-19, but many are relevant still) - see report here.
Strategies for Reducing Toxins in Schools
Green Cleaning: Promote healthy indoor environmental quality and green buildings through policies and practices that reduce the use of toxic or harmful chemicals in cleaning practices. Adopt a purchasing policy and use guide for green cleaning products. Greener products and practices, such as the ones recommended by Safer Choice, will reduce potential health impacts like allergic reactions to cleaning chemicals.
Integrated Pest Management: Reduce toxins through an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) plan. IPM is a process used to solve potential pest problems while reducing risks to human and environmental health. All school staff in California are trained on IPM, which includes many aspects of green cleaning. Training and use of IPM practices are an essential part of green buildings.
Other Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) Strategies
Lighting: Optimize lighting for the main purpose of the room. This involves considerations of daylighting, orientation of windows, light controls, and types of lighting (LED or Fluorescent).
Acoustics: Acoustics are essential to create a high quality learning environment. Acoustics are a combination of speech intelligibility, low disturbances, and sound quality. Good acoustics help students and teachers hear each other better, pay attention, and reduce distractions. Read further about Acoustics with AASHE.
Temperature: Thermal comfort is an important aspect of occupant happiness and comfort. Temperature has many factors including thermostat controls, humidity, air movement, and radiant heat.