Q&A: $5 million EPA grant to improve indoor air quality of New York schools
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Key takeaways:
- Poor indoor air quality in schools exacerbates asthma and increases transmission of airborne illness.
- It also contributes to reduced student attendance and may impede a child’s learning.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency awarded the New York State Department of Health $5 million to address indoor air quality issues and greenhouse gas reduction in schools.
According to a press release from the department, the funds will be used to expand the already existing New York State School Environmental Health Program, which provides information on policies, practices and free resources to schools that want to improve their environments.
Healio spoke with Michele Herdt, MPH, PhD, director of the New York State School Environmental Health Program, about the funding and how it will be used to improve indoor air quality in schools as well as mitigate its harmful effects.
Healio: Where does poor air quality come from in schools?
Herdt: The entire building is considered when discussing air quality. Contaminants (chemicals, dust/particles, odors) contribute to poor air quality. Contaminants come from outdoor sources such as vehicle exhaust, industrial emissions, construction activities, wildfire smoke and pollen. Contaminants could also come from indoor sources such as cleaning supplies, carpets, cooking, pests, renovations and building repairs. Building systems may also affect air quality. Classrooms need to get enough fresh air and exhaust stale air, maintain appropriate classroom temperatures and humidity, and must address water damage and signs of mold if they appear.
Healio: How can poor air quality impact the health of children in these schools?
Herdt: Poor air quality can impact the health of children in schools by exacerbating asthma and other respiratory symptoms. It can also lead to increased transmission of airborne illnesses such as colds, flu and COVID-19.
Healio: Specifically, what impact does poor air quality have on asthma?
Herdt: Indoor air can contain a number of allergens and asthmagens. Some common examples may include dander from pests/classroom pets or its presence on clothes or backpacks, chemical agents in cleaning supplies, and perfumes/air fresheners. This also includes pollen, vehicle exhaust or other outdoor sources. Presence of mold could also trigger asthma and allergies.
Healio: How can poor air quality impact the education of children in these schools?
Herdt: Poor indoor air quality has been shown to contribute to reduced attendance, which can affect learning. Certain indoor air quality concerns may also directly impact a student’s comfort and ability to concentrate, which may negatively impact learning. Some studies have reported a direct association between certain environmental conditions and cognitive function.
Healio: How will this funding be used to improve air quality in schools?
Herdt: The EPA designed this funding opportunity to build capacity in schools by educating and training school staff, such as facility managers, school health care providers, and key decision-makers. To that end, the New York State School Environmental Health Program will engage these school staff in a number of activities designed to increase knowledge and awareness of the importance of good indoor air quality and how to achieve that. These activities will include conferences, regional seminars, webinars, presentations, informational tables and training on how to conduct school walk-throughs and perform indoor air monitoring.
Healio: Could you provide some details about the training events for facility managers and school personnel that this funding will support?
Herdt: The New York State School Environmental Health Program will increase the number of offerings of our popular regional seminars. These seminars are held in various locations around the state, inviting school personnel to a half-day session on topics related to school environmental health, in particular indoor air quality. School personnel can hear from and interact with staff from the New York State Department of Health, the New York State Education Department and other state agencies, as well as other subject matter experts on topics that they choose.
In the past, these sessions have included prevention and remediation of mold, improvements to ventilation, and other concepts related to indoor air quality. The sessions also offer the opportunity to train school staff to conduct proper visual walk-through inspections, which are critical to identify issues early. These in-person sessions are held across the state to allow school staff from all regions the opportunity to attend.
The New York State School Environmental Health Program will also hold an annual full-day conference each year for the next 5 years, beginning in October. These conferences will bring together a number of subject matter experts around the theme of indoor air or climate action. In fact, the program is sponsoring a conference in Saratoga Springs on Oct. 24 with the theme of Climate Action in Schools: Prevention, Preparedness, Response, and Resilience.
The program will also continue to update our website resources, create additional one-page infographics to convey key information in an easy-to-digest format, and conduct webinars on a regular schedule.
Healio: Could you provide some details about the technical assistance that this funding will support?
Herdt: The program will provide technical assistance to address current problems and to prevent future problems in schools. We will help schools evaluate and find solutions to problems, such as mold, pests and ventilation issues. This may be accomplished by training school personnel how to conduct school walk-throughs as mentioned above and by providing them with help on how to address issues that are found.
The program will also continue to connect schools with expert resources, such as other state agencies and nongovernmental organizations that we partner with to address details that are not covered by the State Health Department.
We will also train school personnel on how to use indoor air monitoring equipment, how to interpret the results and how to make improvements if needed. For up to 85 disadvantaged schools, we will be able to leave them with indoor air monitoring equipment for their continued use. We will also provide scholarships for up to 50 facilities staff from disadvantaged schools to take in-depth training on indoor air quality resulting in a certification for that staff person.
Healio: Do you have any recommendations for schools in other states on how they can improve air quality in their facilities?
Herdt: We plan to build national capacity around school indoor air quality by developing a National Work Group on K-12 indoor air quality programs. School indoor air quality or environmental health programs from across the country will be invited to share their program details, successes, strategies for engaging disadvantaged schools, and ways to address indoor air quality in K-12 schools. We will encourage other states to join our work group, which is planned to begin early next year.
Healio: Do you have any other comments?
Herdt: Additional information on indoor air and health can be found here. Information on indoor air quality from the NYS School Environmental Health Program can be found here.
Reference:
- New York State Department of Health receives $5 million to address indoor air quality in schools. https://www.health.ny.gov/press/releases/2024/2024-09-13_air_quality_in_schools.htm. Published Sept. 13, 2024. Accessed Sept. 27, 2024.