Pesticide residues can contaminate indoor surfaces, and can remain in carpets and dust for months or years. They can also persist outdoors in soil for years and some weed-killers commonly used at schools can last from 1 to 5 years in the soil. Colleges and adult schools are not immune. Her well reasoned and rational efforts to interest the school administration in the problem have been met with ridicule and a profound lack of interest. Not only do the facilities crews apply deadly pesticides, but the housekeeping staff and even the students themselves will often use them.
Reports abound from parents with children that have been harmed.
Marcia Clark, a school counselor at Wilsonville Primary School in Oregon, told the Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides that she was a victim in April 2000 that she was a recent victim, as were others at the school where she works. In February of that year, one wing of the school was sprayed over a weekend with pesticides to control ants. Other staff developed nausea, eye irritation, and headaches. After I worked in one of the affected classrooms for a half-hour, I had a pounding headache and my voice was hoarse. Two days later, I had to miss a day of work to recuperate.