Asbestos

Asbestos is a mineral fiber. It can be positively identified only with a special type of microscope. There are several types of asbestos fibers. In the past, asbestos was added to a variety of products to strengthen them and to provide heat insulation and fire resistance.

From studies of people who were exposed to asbestos in factories and shipyards, we know that breathing high levels of asbestos fibers can lead to an increased risk of lung cancer; mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the chest and the abdominal cavity; and asbestosis, in which the lungs become scarred with fibrous tissue. The risk of lung cancer and mesothelioma increases with the number of fibers inhaled. The risk of lung cancer from inhaling asbestos fibers is also greater for smokers. People who get asbestosis have usually been exposed to high levels of asbestos for a long time. The symptoms of these diseases do not usually appear until about 20 to 30 years after the first exposure to asbestos. Most people exposed to small amounts of asbestos, as we all are in our daily lives, do not develop these health problems. However, if disturbed, asbestos material may release asbestos fibers, which can be inhaled into the lungs. The fibers can remain there for a long time, increasing the risk of disease. Asbestos material that would crumble easily if handled, or that has been sawed, scraped, or sanded into a powder, is more likely to create a health hazard (Available on-line at www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/asbestos.html).

Intact, undisturbed asbestos-containing materials generally do not pose a health risk. They may become hazardous and pose increased risk when they are damaged, are disturbed in some manner such as during school renovation and repair, or deteriorate over time and thus release asbestos fibers into building air. In response to the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act, EPA published the Asbestos-in-Schools Rule. The rule requires public and private elementary and secondary schools to inspect for friable (easily crumbled) and non-friable asbestos, develop management plans to address hazards, and conduct responses to eliminate the asbestos. The rule also specifies training, examination, and other requirements to accredit persons who do this work, and sets requirements for warning signs and transportation and disposal of materials containing asbestos. Additional information about the federal laws regulating asbestos in schools can be found on the EPA web site at www.epa.gov/asbestos/pubs/asbestos_in_schools.html.

Formaldehyde

Formaldehyde is one in a large family of chemical compounds called volatile organic compounds or "VOCs." The term volatile means that the compounds vaporize at normal room temperatures. Some VOCs can cause watery eyes, burning sensations in the eyes, nose and throat, nausea, coughing, chest tightness, wheezing, skin rashes, and allergic reactions. Humidity and temperature will affect the off-gassing (release of gaseous chemicals from a solid material) of formaldehyde from products such as pressboard. Pressboard is commonly found in temporary school buildings. Although professional advice should be solicited to resolve concerns, the school can immediately respond to this concern by providing ventilation whenever possible.

Radon

The EPA ranks indoor radon among the most serious environmental health problems facing us today. After smoking, it is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States causing an estimated fourteen thousand (14,000) lung cancer deaths a year. Radon is a naturally occurring gas that may seep into buildings from the surrounding soil. In some cases, well water may be a source of radon. You cannot see, taste, or smell radon. In fact, the only way to discover if high levels of radon are present is by testing.

The National School Radon Survey estimated 19.3 percent of U.S. schools, nearly one in five, have at least one frequently occupied ground contact room with short-term radon levels above 4pCi/L - the level at which EPA recommends mitigation (US EPA, 1993). Radon can enter the school building or any other building when warm air rises, creating a vacuum in the lower areas of the school. Air seeps in from the soil around and under the school, and some air is sucked in through openings (cracks, doors, windows) on the lower levels. Radon gas decays into radioactive particles that can be trapped in the lungs. This can damage lung tissue and lead to lung cancer. An individual's risk of developing lung cancer from radon exposure depends on the dose and duration, as well as the presence of environmental tobacco smoke. The EPA recommends that all schools be tested for radon; as of February 1999 only 20 percent have been tested For additional information on radon, contact the National Safety Council at (800) SOS-RADON.