Indoor Air Quality
The UFT receives more complaints from its members about poor indoor air quality
in schools than about any other health and safety issue. Staff complaints
include irritation of the nose and throat, dry itchy eyes, headaches, drowsiness,
difficulty concentrating and asthmatic-type reactions.
Many of the problems can be traced to inadequate ventilation or indoor
pollution sources. In most situations, indoor air pollution is not a serious,
long-term threat to health, but it can result in physical discomfort and
interfere with the ability of students and members to perform. However, it
could be a tip-off to other air pollution problems.
Typical sources of pollution include:
- Exhaust from coal or oil boilers, buses and automobiles
- Ozone, heat and toner dust from photo-copiers
- Methanol from duplicators
- Dust from construction
- Chemical vapors from laboratories
- “Bioaerosols” — biological organisms that can be released
into the air, like molds, bacteria, insects and rodent droppings.
The UFT has lobbied aggressively for more funds to improve air quality and
for city, state and federal legislation that would set standards for acceptable
indoor air quality in schools and public buildings.
IMPROVING INDOOR AIR QUALITY
Indoor air quality can be improved with proper ventilation — meaning
sufficient out-side air for the number of building occupants, properly distributed
throughout the building to dilute the concentration of indoor contaminants.
You can help to eliminate or minimize building pollution by:
- Opening windows four to five inches for about 15 minutes every few hours. The return air or exhaust vents should be free of materials that block airflow. Simply stated, keep windows open to reduce indoor air pollution!
- Choosing non-toxic or less toxic materials for art and shop classes.
- Providing adequate ventilation during science demos and experiments.
- Selecting building materials and furnishings that emit the least amount of airborne contaminants.
- Banning smoking (an activity already banned in schools).