Kenneth*, age 13, began fall semester shop class to find the work tables had recently been sealed with a solvent called "Zar Clear Wood Finish". During that first month back to school, Kenneth breathed the fumes from the off-gassing tables plus he was exposed to other chemicals including the pesticides used on the school grounds. He plunged into an episode of "reactive airway disease", (RADS, similar to asthma), chronic fatigue and pain, and Kenneth ended up missing several months of school.
Amy, age 15, was in P.E. while a masked man down the field sprayed pesticides on the fields. The teacher instructed the children to run around the field and Amy obeyed. She then suffered from a severe case of RADS and temporarily lost her vision. Another girl lost consciousness. Amy's weakened immune system became further depressed from this incident and she was forced to complete eighth grade at home with the help of a tutor.
Larry*, age 11, complained about the fumes from the classroom carpet, and the strong scents of perfumes and cleansers. He suffers from RADS, chronic fatigue, and cognitive dysfunction. His blood levels are inexplicably high with benzene, a chemical commonly found in pesticides and cleansers as an inert ingredient.
Kenneth, Amy and Larry are being made sick by their schools. But how are the chemicals around the classroom affecting healthy children? As the incidence of RADS, attention deficit disorder, cancer, and chronic fatigue syndrome escalate among children, the classroom environment is being looked at with more scrutiny. An increasing body of scientific data on the harmful effects of pesticide exposure raises concerns about the use of these chemicals in our schools. Teachers are also made sick by exposure to pesticides, carpet chemicals, mold and dust, and portable classrooms, notorious for elevated formaldehyde levels. The international office of the PTA has issued board resolutions for the reduction of chemicals in the classrooms. This resolution was faxed to the local PTA presidents by the Response Team for the Chemically Injured in Atascadero. They want to support the formation of local parent and teacher groups who wish to make the classrooms and playgrounds a safe place for all.
The SLO county and city school districts do not have any formal documentation process for children who are adversely impacted by the school environment. The problem is dealt with at the individual school sites. Typically, the school does not document the effect of chemicals on children because the symptoms of chemical poisoning are not recognized. The sick student is discounted either as having the flu, behavioral or learning problems.
Children are more prone to chemical toxicity than adults. Studies by the National Defense Council found that children's pesticide exposure was four to nine times greater than adults. A Missouri study shows a significant correlation between the use of pesticides and brain cancer in children. Other studies relate pesticides and childhood leukemia. Children eat more food, breathe more air, and drink more water per pound of body weight than adults, thus exposure to and absorption of many toxic substances per pound of body fat is higher, and some toxins damage growing and developing tissue more readily than fully established tissues. The child is truly at the mercy of his or her environment.
How do children respond when chemicals are applied nearby? The brain is the first organ affected by toxins. Central nervous system damage can result in subtle changes in behavior or bizarre reactions such as seizures or loss of body function. Kids may also get headaches, fatigue, sleep disturbances, dizziness, rashes and chronic ear infections. The child may exhibit shortened attention span, memory loss, aggressiveness, and weakness. Studies demonstrate an increase in dyslexia-like perception problems and drops in performance upon exposure to pesticides and petrochemicals. Children may also exhibit RADS and other respiratory problems. Runny noses and dark circles under the eyes are obvious symptoms. Surely we would not knowingly subject our children to such suffering.
According to the U.S. EPA, "no pesticide can be considered 'safe'..." Many schools across the country are eliminating or significantly reducing their pesticide use by adopting "Integrated Pest Management" (IPM) practices which use a combination of natural and least toxic controls. Routine application of pesticides can in fact exacerbate pest problems by causing insects to develop resistance to the pesticide or by creating new habitats for noxious weeds. And IPM has proven cost effective because of its preventative approach. IPM uses information about the pest's life-cycle and habits to control it with a minimum of impact on the environment and human health. The school's pest control may be governed by a city or statewide IPM policy. No policies have yet to be adopted in San Luis Obispo County. During a meeting on June 27, 1996 three SLO County Department of Agriculture officials, Brenda Ouwerkerk, Dale Donaghe, Rick Landon, met with RTCI to discuss IPM in the local schools. They are willing to investigate, support, and implement an IPM program for SLO schools. Input from parents would help to expedite the process.
While the EPA recommends that pesticides be used in schools only as a last resort, SLO county schools regularly spray with diazinon, an organophosphate. Diazinon interferes with the enzyme cholinesterase that enables proper transmission of nerve signals. Signs of poisoning include headaches, dizziness, muscle weakness or uncoordination, visual problems and spasms of the bronchial tubes. Two EPA studies found diazinon to be the sixth most frequent cause of accidental death due to pesticides. Another pesticide, Roundup, is frequently reported as the cause of pesticide-related hospitalizations. The active ingredient, glyphosate, can cause intestinal pain, vomiting, and swelling of the lungs. Roundup contains an "inert" ingredient, POEA, that is three times more acutely toxic than glyphosate itself. The Atascadero School District has been spraying glyphosate-containing Roundup on the playgrounds every two weeks.
Methyl bromide, an acute Class A toxin, is an ozone depleter, and can cause cancer, nerve damage, and death. It is slated to be banned by 2001 in California. It is still being sprayed on thirty to forty licensed day care centers and schools in the area. Not only does this poison endanger the children but the surrounding communities as well. 300,000 pounds of methyl bromide were applied in SLO County in 1992.
This is a concern of Jeff Land, director of EcoSlo. EcoSlo is in the preliminary planning process to develop an environmental health outreach program which would cater to the needs of sensitive populations such as our school children.
The New York Attorney General's office not only recommends IPM for schools but also that schools notify staff and parents of application and post warning signs to the treated area. At the time of Amy's exposure mentioned above, the school already had a doctor's notice stating that Amy could experience life-threatening consequences from pesticide exposure. Her parents were not notified of the spraying. Amy's school is finally complying with her doctor's request for pre-notification of pesticides. She continues to have trouble in the classrooms, and frequently needs her inhaler. The school grounds are still regularly sprayed with pesticides. She has to avoid the newly built portion of the school due to toxic reactions but the older rooms are mold infested. Sick building syndrome is another concern for parents.
The EPA states that indoor air pollution is one of our biggest environmental health threats. Poor air circulation allows the build-up of toxic chemicals. One example is the Zar Clear Wood Finish that Kenneth was exposed to. Its label warns to "avoid breathing vapors" yet the children were in class as usual. Repeated exposures to Zar Clear Wood Finish can cause permanent brain damage or death. Indoor air can be polluted by the use of cleansers, new paint or carpets, or mold and dust. Students and teachers can add to the problem by wearing strong smelling perfumes, chemical cocktails which can contain up to 300 untested synthetic chemicals. Linda McElver, a concerned mother, states, "Hazardous chemicals are used all the time by the general public. The manufacturer's instructions don't mention its affects on babies and children."
Another primary cause of sick building syndrome are newly constructed classrooms which emit such toxic chemicals as formaldehyde from particle board, 4-PC from new carpets, and trichlorethelene from paint and glues. These extremely toxic chemicals can cause diffuse symptoms such as fatigue and mental confusion or severe long-term damage to the nervous system. Taxpayer-approved money from Proposition A is now funding construction in our local schools. Phase 1 projects have already broken ground at Laguna, Sinsheimer, Smith, and Del Mar Schools. Phase 2 projects are in the planning stage for Hawthorne, Los Ranches, Charles Teach, Bishops Peak, and Baywood Schools. Current plans for Hawthorne Elementary School include windowless classrooms which would certainly affect the air circulation. It behooves parents to find out what construction materials are being used for these projects. What chemical fumes will your child be breathing for five or six hours a day?
Our chemically sensitive children don't have a choice about spending time in brand new classrooms. Studies are underway to document the low-level toxins that make them ill. Sensitive children should be listened to as indicators that a chemical problem exists that could cause harm to all children. Like the canaries in times past that were taken into the mines to detect deadly chemicals, our children are signally danger.
Two years later Kenneth is still struggling to attend classes that are safe for him at San Luis Obispo High School. Kenneth had to drop out of Honor's English because the carpet fumes made him sick. His local doctor Jeffry Anderson, M.D., diagnosed Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) based on extensive diagnostic testing but the school still refuses to accommodate him, and insists that he be evaluated by Abba Terr, a known anti-MCS doctor in San Francisco. After spending over $10,000 on legal fees, his parents state that Kenneth is being forced out of high school. Their offer to pay for replacement carpeting or a private teacher has been refused. And they still don't know what pesticides are being used on campus. Kenneth would like to be a lawyer when he grows up so that he can help other disabled children, but for now graduating from high school is challenge enough.
Larry's current teacher asked the custodian to stop spraying the chemicals and asked the students to voluntarily stop using perfumes. With fresh air coming into the classroom all year round, his grades soared to A's and B's. Upon exposure to fumes, they plummet to D's. How many of our children's performance is being affected by sick schools?
All these issues raise health, legal and public policy questions about schools' responsibilities regarding the use of poisons in our schools. They also point out the special needs of some students, and highlight the school's responsibility to take precautions to protect the health and safety of all the children in its care. Parents have a right to know what their child is being exposed to and to enter into the decision making process. Children have a right to receive their education in a safe environment. Safe schools equals healthy, smart kids.
*Kenneth and Larry are not their real names.
Selene Anema, RN, and public health nurse, has been working in the healing arts for twenty-two years.
Call the Response Team for the Chemically Injured at 461-3662 for information about organizing for safe schools.
EcoSlo can be reached at 544-1777 for more information.
Home
