Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools Program: Benefits of Improving Air Quality in the School Environment

摘要

Indoor air quality (IAQ) is increasingly an important issue in our nation's schools. Approximately 20 percent of the U.S. population- nearly 55 million people-spend their days inside elementary and secondary schools. In 1999, indoor air quality (IAQ) was reported to be unsatisfactory in about one in five public schools in the United States, while ventilation was reported as unsatisfactory in about one-quarter of public schools, according to the National Center for Education Statistics of the Department of Education. The health of students and staff in these schools is a cause for great concern, particularly the negative effects of poor IAQ on asthma and other respiratory illnesses. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) developed the Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools (IAQ TfS) Program to help schools prevent, identify, and resolve their IAQ problems. Through simple, low-cost measures, schools can: Reduce IAQ-related health risks and triggers for asthma; Identify sources of mold; Improve comfort and performance levels; Avoid costly repairs; Avoid negative publicity and loss of parent and community trust; and Avoid liability problems.