Sick School Syndrome

As parents, we work hard to keep our children in a safe, healthy environment at home. For example, global sales of healthy food products reached $1 trillion in 2017 (Forbes). The demand for greener, more natural cleaning products has grown the non-toxic cleaning industry is expected to reach $8 billion in 2018. A more pure and natural environment is essential to the modern parent, but there’s one aspect of our child’s lives that we are overlooking.

We send our children to school armed with their nutritious lunch, a bottle of water, and hand sanitizer. But are we paying attention to the quality of the air they are breathing during their seven hours at school each day?

According to a recent CNN article, studies have estimated that a third or more of U.S. schools have mold, dust and other indoor air problems serious enough to provoke respiratory issues like asthma in students and teachers. With asthma as the #1 chronic illness in children, maybe we should begin taking a look at the place they spend the majority of their day.

Currently, there are no national and state standards for mold testing and remediation. In addition, the chronic underfunding of public education has exacerbated policymakers’ and school officials’ neglect of school upkeep and maintenance. Consequently, mold, mycotoxins, fungus, allergens, VOCs, bacteria, and rodent excrement (yuck!) are running rampant in the air of our schools. If you’re looking for more evidence, The Washington Post and the National Education Association can fill you in on the nitty-gritty details.

Common symptoms of continued exposure to a toxic indoor environment include congestion, runny nose, coughing, irritated eyes, new or worsening asthma, headaches, and fatigue. If you suspect that your child might be suffering from the effects of a toxic indoor environment at school you can read more information from the Healthy Schools Network, Inc.

Before you head out to purchase a face mask to add to your child’s school supply box, check out pureAir PERSONAL by GreenTech Environmental. pureAir PERSONAL is wearable technology that purifies the air that your child breathes, protecting them from harmful elements in their environment.