Why indoor air quality in schools is a priority
You’ve hopefully heard by now about the Utah Department of Health and Human Services (UHHS) program to put air purifiers in K-12 schools and early education centers throughout the state, at no cost to the schools. UPHE partnered with UDHHS early this year to get to work on this important initiative.
This program is near and dear to our heart. It’s something we’ve advocated for for years due to the well known and thoroughly researched consequences of air pollution. We know that the effects are even more dangerous for younger children. Numerous studies have been conducted, including right here in Utah, that show a correlation in brain function and air pollution.
UDHHS was able to provide funding for this program through a COVID-related grant to help reopen schools safely. The benefits span far beyond COVID reduction, though.
The Journalist’s Resource recently posted an article evaluating the air quality geared response to COVID in schools. They include the following summaries of research behind indoor air quality in schools:
Poor indoor air quality and ventilation are common in schools across the planet.
Certain pollutants often are found in higher levels inside school buildings than in homes and commercial buildings.
Poor indoor air quality is linked to a variety of health problems, ranging from coughing and wheezing to more serious conditions such as asthma and cancer.
Breathing polluted air harms students’ academic performance. If students get sick, they miss school. Studies also show that poor classroom air quality reduces cognitive ability.
The Journalist’s Resource
“Inhalation exposure to air pollution has increased children’s mortality rate, acute respiratory disease, and asthma,” researchers write. “Due to different responses of the children’s immune systems to indoor air exposures, various chronic diseases and symptoms have been reported and characterized as ‘sick building syndrome.”
For these reasons, we ask for your help in spreading the word and promoting the incredible opportunity being offered by UDHHS to improve the environment in schools throughout the state.
Please send principals, teachers and parents to our website for more information.