Page 27 - School Planning & Management, April 2017

HOW HEALTHY SCHOOLS SAVE MONEY
releases a mix of chemicals from de- odorants, hairsprays or gels, fragrances, fabric treatments, etc.
Add to that the materials, furnish- ings, cleaners and other substances brought into schools that emit airborne pollutants, and school facilities can become very unhealthy.
Exposure to Chemical Soup
Per the U.S. EPA, there are more than 80,000 chemical substances in legal use under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). Most of these have not been tested for long-term health risks; and they are most often found in mixtures with other chemi- cals. The complex “soup” of chemicals in school environments exacerbates sourcing the cause of illness or mal- aise, and results in applying to un- healthy schools the general descrip- tor of “sick building syndrome.”
The importance of reducing exposure to synthetic chemicals is reinforced as we’ve learned the “dose makes the poison” adage does not apply to common legal chemicals that affect human hormones in parts per billion (ppb), also known as endocrine disruptors.
Physical, Educational and Fiscal Solutions
Less chemicals = more students and teachers in class, with better health and focus.
A 1997-2001 study at Charles
Young Elementary School showed that improving the indoor environment through renovation and healthier clean- ing raised attendance from 89 percent to 93 percent along with a “qualitative indication of reduced asthma.”
The Young study noted “a direct connection between healthy school environments, behaviors and attitudes of students, parents and educators; and academic performance and achievement.”
Also, fewer chemicals means lower cost of buying, shipping, storing and
handling chemicals. For example, North- ern Tioga School District, in Pennsyl- vania, reduced annual supply costs by $19,883.25 by not buying aerosols and harsh products such as bowl cleaners.
A study led by Mark J. Mendell, Ph.D., MPH, Lawrence Berkeley Na- tional Laboratory, and published in the American Journal of Public Health,
stated: “Improving building environ- ments may result in ... economic benefits of $5 to $75 billion annually [and] offers enormous potential health and economic returns.”
Thus, preventing exposure to chemicals provides a triple benefit: 1) healthier people, 2) better learning and 3) healthier budgets.
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APRIL 2017 / SCHOOL PLANNING & MANAGEMENT 27