Tools For Schools Addresses Indoor Air Quality

HARTFORD — The 2005-2006 school year is under way and the Department of Public Health (DPH) reminds parents that every school district in Connecticut is mandated by state law to have an indoor air program in place in order to ensure good indoor air quality for students and staff.

In recent years, local and state health officials have been swamped with calls from parents and teachers alike about air quality problems in Connecticut schools. Dust, animal dander, mold, and inadequate ventilation are just a few of the causes that lead to the coldlike symptoms (eye nose and throat irritation, headaches, fatigue, etc) that are really indicators of poor indoor air quality. Indoor air quality issues in schools can also cause children with asthma to have more frequent attacks, leading to higher absenteeism rates.

To address this problem in Connecticut, nearly 500 schools in the state have implemented the EPA developed Tools for Schools program.

“Tools for Schools uses a team effort to find and correct indoor air problems,” commented DPH Commissioner Robert Galvin, MDPH. “In each school building, a team of administrators, parents, school nurses, teachers, and custodians investigate and prioritize indoor air hazards. Short- and long-term strategies are then developed to solve these problems.”

DPH and 22 other concerned organizations, including the American Lung Association and the Connecticut State Department of Education, have formed a consortium that help schools train and support Tools for Schools committees in identifying and addressing potential or current indoor air threats.

Source removal is one emphasis of that training. “Source removal is the most effective and least expensive action a school system can take to improve indoor air quality,” Dr Galvin stated. “Making a greater effort to remove dust from schools is just one of the many ways that people can improve school air quality.”

For more information on Tools for Schools, call 860-509-7270 or visit www.dph.state.ct.us.