Polluted Schools

Schoolchildren across the US are plagued by air pollution that’s linked to multiple brain-related problems, with black, Hispanic and low-income students most likely to be exposed to harmful toxins at school, scientists and educators have warned.  New research using EPA and census data to mapped out the air pollution exposure for nearly 90,000 public schools across the US. Grineski and her University of Utah colleague Timothy Collins grouped schools according to their level of exposure to more than a dozen neurotoxins, including lead, mercury and cyanide compounds. Cash-strapped authorities have routinely placed schools on the cheapest available land, which is often beside busy roads, factories or on previously contaminated sites. 

“This could well be impacting an entire generation of our society,” said Dr Sara Grineski. The study found that pre-kindergarten children are attending higher risk schools than older students – a stark finding given the vulnerability of developing brains. Scientific endeavour is uncovering a jumble of neurological reactions to air pollution, from early onset Alzheimers to schizophrenia. Much of this work is in its infancy, but scientists say there is well established evidence that children are far more susceptible to pollutants than adults, with potentially severe consequences for their development. “We’re only now realizing how toxins don’t just affect the lungs but influence things like emotional development, autism, ADHD and mental health,” she said. “Socially marginalized populations are getting the worst exposure. When you look at the pattern, it’s so pervasive that you have to call it an injustice and racism.”

The research found that:

• Only 728 schools achieved the safest possible score.
• Five of the 10 worst polluted school counties have non-white populations of over 20%
• The five worst polluted areas include New York, Chicago, and Pittsburgh, as well as Jersey City and Camden in New Jersey. One teacher in Camden told the Guardian that heavy industry was “destroying our children”. Camden’s industrial base has diminished, but persistent air pollution continues to gnaw away at a city that has been blighted by poverty and struggling schools. Of the 140 worst schools identified for air pollution in Grineski’s study, 11 are in a wedge of south Camden, near the industrialized waterfront. Neighbors include a cement plant, a metal scrapyard, and a sewage treatment plant. It is estimated around 330,000 trucks pass through south Camden each year. Camden is heavily African American, Hispanic and young – around a third of the 75,000 population is under 18. A further third of the population lives in poverty. Camden has the second highest asthma rate in the state and is heavily affected by certain cancers, such as of the lungs and kidneys. Teachers in Camden are also starting to ponder whether student performance could, at least in part, be blamed on the local environment. Only 12% of high schoolers in Camden meet expectations in English language tests, with even fewer making the grade in mathematics.
•  While black children make up 16% of all US public school students, more than a quarter of them attend the schools worst affected by air pollution. By contrast, white children comprise 52% of the public school system but only 28% of those attend the highest risk schools. This disparity remains even when the urban-rural divide is accounted for. Schools with large numbers of students of colour are routinely located near major roads and other sources of pollution, with many also grappling with other hazards such as lead-laced drinking water and toxins buried beneath school buildings. Only a handful of states require that schools are not placed next to environmental hazards. 
• According to Stephen Lester, science director of the Center for Health, Environment and Justice,, “Children are facing risks that will affect their ability to learn. It’s a serious problem that needs a serious government response.”