SURVEY ANALYSES
Three different analyses were conducted on the 65 completed surveys:
1. Environmental Health (n = 65). On issues of school conditions affecting the individual's environmental health, surveys from all 65 respondents were tabulated and analyzed.
2. School Facility Snapshot (n = 39). The 65 respondents reported on conditions in 39 different schools. To avoid the bias introduced by having multiple surveys completed on one school, a methodology was adopted. For schools having only one respondent, we used that completed survey; for schools with more than one completed survey, we tabulated only one survey selected at random from surveys completed by that school's occupants.
3. The Problems of Ten Schools (n = 10). For ten different schools with two or more completed surveys we compiled a total list of problems drawn from all the returned surveys. (For one school with eight completed surveys, in the interests of time, we chose at random just three surveys completed by school occupants).
1. Environmental Health At School (n=65)
In total, 65 people (including students, parents, teachers, and other school employees) responded to the survey. The results, discussed below, focus on the findings from the survey which indicate the environmental health areas that need the most improvement. They include poor indoor air quality and air circulation/ventilation; roach and rodent infestation, chemicals and other odors in the buildings. Twenty-one percent (21%, 12 of 57 responding to the question; 8 did not respond) said their schools were unsafe from an environmental perspective.
According to the National PTA, “It is common to think of air pollution as being an outdoor problem. However, according to the US EPA, the amount of pollution inside buildings may be two to five times, sometimes even 100 times, higher than the pollution outside. In addition, most people spend about 90 percent of their time inside. As a result, indoor air pollution is ranked among the top five environmental dangers to the public,” 17This information is particularly relevant for students and school employees, who spend many hours each day in schools with poor indoor air quality.
The results of our survey indicate that indoor air quality is a major problem area in New York City public schools. Many respondents complained of inadequate heating and cooling; offensive odors; broken or closed windows; and particulates in the air. This is obviously troubling from a health perspective. It is equally so from a legal one. In almost all the areas we will document below there are already laws in place that recognize the problems and clearly prohibit these conditions in schools.18 The failure to enforce these laws in schools may be partly due to the fact that they were not designed to protect children but only adults in their workplaces. Existing laws need to be enforced and new legal safeguards specifically designed to protect children at school must be developed.
Many of respondents reported they had asthma or allergies, and felt that the reason behind their aggravated symptoms was the poor indoor air quality in their schools. The incidence of asthma in children in New York City, a subject of a major recent study, was found to be abnormally high in the City’s poorest areas. As reported in The New York Times, “Hospitalization rates were as much as 21 times higher in poorer, minority areas than in the hardest-hit areas of the more affluent communities. High rates of hospitalization are one of the most accurate indications of the widespread severity of the disease, the researchers said.”19 Since most or all of these children attend or will attend public school it is all the more important that school conditions not exacerbate what can become a life threatening condition. Currently, asthma is one of the leading causes of school absenteeism due to chronic illness.
Forty percent of respondents (23 of 57 responding to this question; 8 did not answer) had some sort of medical condition; among the 23 reporting a medical condition, an astounding 39% (9) had asthma and 39% (9) had allergies.20 Of those with medical conditions, 39% (9) felt that their condition was made worse by the air quality or cleanliness of the school. (Note: these are not all the same nine individuals.) Cited as causes of air contamination were construction, general problems, pesticides, toxic cleaning fluids, and dirt and garbage. Fourteen percent (14%, or 8 of 56) reported sensitivity to air or fumes in schools and 12% (6 of 50) reported more frequent or more serious asthma or allergy attacks during the school day. Among those affected by fumes, 7% (3 of 43) said cleaning fluids caused medical problems for them or people they knew, including vomiting, headaches, and allergies.
When asked if their school was safe, one respondent explained his/her concern as, “Unventilated classrooms! Very concerning for asthma, bronchitis infections, and hypertension,”21 Furthermore, when asked what in particular about the air quality was bothersome, several respondents specifically mentioned the presence of dust in the air, with responses such as “The dust in the air kicked up my allergies and I was miserable” 22 and “The dust has an old odor.” 23 One respondent in particular, who has asthma as well as anemia and diabetes, gave several disturbing responses. When asked about the medical conditions worsening from the indoor air quality, this student stated, “We have seven floor (sic) in my school. We have elevators, but to obtain an elevator pass, one must be checked by the school nurse, many people fail, and have to walk up the steps.”24 When later asked what brings on more frequent or serious attacks, the same student responded, “Racing up to class on the seven flight (sic) of stairs in school, passing through a floor where there is a high smell of ink from the printing press.”25 This response is disturbing for several reasons: first, because this asthmatic student must go up seven flights of stairs each day to get to class, and second, because the possible hazardous pollutants from the printing presses appear not to be properly ventilated. Such requirements on this child, depending on her condition, may be a violation of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and/or the Individual with Disabilities and Education Act. All too often, printing presses and copy machines are not well ventilated, and can pose health risks for those teaching, working, or learning in the vicinity.26
<-- previous page ---------- next page -->