UPHE pushes for air purifiers in classrooms
The Utah Department of Health’s air purifier program is one way UPHE is making a difference and protecting Utahns from unacceptable air pollution levels. Fox 13 interviewed us about the benefits of this project, getting the air cleaned up for every student in the state.
“On an acute basis, even on a per-hour basis, air pollution exposure can affect brain function. Such that students in their ability to learn in the classroom can be harmed in simple things like taking tests from the air pollution inside those rooms during the test,” UPHE’s Dr. Brian Moench said to Fox 13.
“Studies show that cleaner air can improve students’ ability to think to learn to read to solve math problems. So if we can clean that up, we know students’ performance, their academic career and potential will be enhanced.”
There are four main benefits possible through cleaner air in schools:
1. Overall improved health for students and teachers.
2. Improved cognition, learning, memory, problem solving, including better test scores for students. As much benefit as a 30% reduction in class size.
3. Less transmission of respiratory diseases like COVID and flu, and that means less absenteeism, fewer infections in the families of students, less disease spread throughout the community.
4. Number 3 above translates into a significant economic benefit for everyone.
Every Utah student deserves all the benefits of clean air.
Find out if your students’ school has them. If not, go to our website, or email brandi@uphe.org