Making Our Children's Schools Safer and Healthier Vol. Between the ages of 5 and 18, a youngster may spend 14,000 hours inside school buildings.
Pollution affects children more than most adults, so it is particularly serious in schools.
Products such as synthetic building materials, carpets, pesticides, and cleaning solutions can expose children to chemicals that are known to be toxic or don't have adequate health assessments to ensure children's safety. Many schools have sought to seal up to save energy, especially following the energy shortages and soaring fossil-fuel prices of the 1970's. That very effort has often worked to reduce ventilation and to seal in air pollutants. In a recent Connecticut survey, most responding school districts reported spraying pesticides inside school buildings, generally without the prior knowledge or consent of parents, students, or teachers. Ensure proper ventilation of schools.