Article: A Safe Eye Can Spot an Unsafe School

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A Safe Eye Can Spot an Unsafe School

One cause of “sick building†syndrome is toxic materials. Toxic materials

may cause symptoms such as runny noses, nose bleeds, exhaustion and

rashes. If children’s health improves when they’re kept home from

school but symptoms recur upon returning to classrooms, the illnesses

may be the result of sick building syndrome.

DANGEROUS MOLDS

Three toxins found repeatedly in students’ blood were formic acid

(formaldehyde), phenol, and arsenic. Stachybotrys mold, lead from

unfiltered water and old pipes, benzene from exhaust flowing into air

intake areas, and pesticides from surrounding lawns were also detected.

Extremely wet conditions lasting two to four days contribute to the

presence of the very dangerous Stachybotrys mold.

As a result, concern over air quality in portable classrooms is high. Elevated

levels of toxins have been correlated to portable classroomexposure throughout

the United States and Canada. Portables lack good air flow underneath the

buildings,

which would enable stagnant water to evaporate and inhibit the growth

of molds.

PROPOSED LEGISLATION

Some school districts in Canada have taken steps to eliminate toxins

from school buildings and improve air quality. In California, an

assembly bill known as the Healthy Schools Act of 1999 (AB 1207)

addresses concerns but does not propose substantial changes. It agrees

that exposure to toxic chemicals may increase serious illnesses “though

these risks remain inadequately studied....â€

The law proposes a review that would recommend new standards or other

mitigating actions “necessary to ensure the protection of children’s

health.†The report assessing the current situation and making

recommendations was left unsigned during the administration of former

Governor Pete and remains unsigned during the present

administration of Governor Gray .

DANGEROUS CONDITIONS

An article in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 1997 discusses

the potential of floods to cause sick building syndrome and the resulting

illnesses (JAMA, 1997). And recently, in Saugus,

California, health officials searched for toxins and molds in the

classrooms when several children and teachers became ill.

Stachybotrys is a mold that causes illness in animals and humans. In 1993-1994,

an outbreak of pulmonary hemorrhage in infants in Cleveland, Ohio was attributed

to Stachybotrys.

Researchers found this mold, the probable cause, growing in the homes

of the ill infants.

Symptoms include shortness of breath, headaches, fatigue, inability to

concentrate, nosebleed, and unexplained rashes. There is treatment

available for the illnesses caused by this mold and other toxic

chemicals, but first a correct diagnosis must be made.

IF YOU SUSPECT SICK BUILDING SYNDROME

1. Inspect all water-damaged areas of the building. If contamination is found,

do not attempt to clean up the areas yourself.

2. Get professional advice and help. While disinfecting the surface of

contaminated materials may seem to kill the toxins, often the mold will survive

and grow again.

3. Toxins may accumulate in contaminated material so removing all contaminated

materials and replacing them with new materials is often a better option than

merely cleaning up the older contaminated ones.

If you suspect a toxic problem in your child’s school, notify the

principal and school district officials immediately. Don’t try to solve

the problem yourself.

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