According to the Massachusetts Bureau of Environmental Health Assessment (BEHA), poor indoor air quality (IAQ) in schools can seriously exacerbate pediatric asthma and allergies. In February 2004, The Boston Globe published a story about mold found in a Westborough school that was discovered after a student developed rashes and severe headaches. In the same month, an article in the MetroWest Daily Newslinked poor indoor air quality at one school with a high number of asthma attacks.
With such incidents on the rise -- the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report a 70 percent spike in pediatric asthma over the last decade -- how can a physician know if poor indoor air quality is causing health problems?
According to William Patterson, M.D., M.P.H., chair of the MMS Committee on Environmental and Occupational Health, physicians must first be aware of the symptoms (chronic respiratory and eye irritations, headache, nausea, fatigue and unusual pulmonary problems) and then ask appropriate questions.
"By taking an exposure history, physicians can link cases among patients, identify correctable IAQ problems, and alert workplaces and schools to the need to investigate," said Dr. Patterson.
If a physician suspects an IAQ problem is affecting children, they should contact the BEHA, said Suzanne Condon, the organization's assistant commissioner. "We can provide information or look into the IAQ at that particular school," she said.
BEHA has investigated serious IAQ problems in schools across the state, said Condon, explaining that New England may experience more problems due to temperature extremes. High humidity in the summer and wet winters can lead to mold growth, particularly in schools where ventilation systems cannot keep pace with these changes.
- Jeri Jewet
