A recent indoor air report from the Brown University Pandemic Center, International WELL Building Institute and Air Club can help union health and safety committees make their case to improve school air for everyone.
The topic has been on-going in New Jersey schools, reflected by the state’s unique indoor air quality (IAQ) standard which is often cited to address mold complaints. Aside from mold, there can be many other unhealthy particles in school air such as viruses, asbestos, construction dust, cleaning/disinfecting chemicals, vehicle exhaust and outside pollution.
Whatever the airborne hazard, employers need a written plan and designated person to implement it. The plan must include inspections and a preventive maintenance log, as well as solutions to address any problematic findings.
Healthy indoor air requires avoiding the use of toxic products or materials, providing fresh air and cleaning the air (e.g., filtering, disinfection). As schools have learned, portable air filters are useful in many ways.
Funding possibilities are popping up
In 2024, the federal government allotted funding to five organizations for air quality work to be completed by 2029. Three recipients—the American Lung Association, Go Green Initiative and US Green Building Council’s Center for Green Schools—are generating and providing grants, case studies and materials.
The Clean Air for Schools Fund (soon be renamed the Inspired Air Fund) is also a potential resource. A philanthropic fund committed to cleaner air for students, it focuses on “particulate matter and airborne disease reduction, which, by and large, we have the technology to fix via portable filtration,” explains Co-director Jessica Cole.
However, Cole continues, “a lot of existing devices have not been built for school environments. They’re too loud. They’re underpowered. They take up plugs. They’re not networked.”
To address these drawbacks, the Fund collaborated with the Center for Green Schools to develop a document to help schools choose air cleaning devices that fit their spaces. Grants are available for purchases, especially if schools share data and feedback about how well the devices solve their needs and offer ideas about scaling up the effort.
Clean Air for Schools Fund staff are also talking with the National Education Association about utilizing “sensor libraries” (sharing devices to monitor the air) and are looking for union members and committees to establish one for their area.
Finally, as part of its layered approach, the Fund would like to pilot positive pressure technology in schools. Used in hospitals, airplanes and “clean rooms,” the technology pushes filtered air into a room while holding the indoor air pressure slightly higher than that of the outdoors, thereby pushing out any contaminated air (e.g., wildfire smoke, pathogens, toxins).
What should health and safety committees do?
New Jersey Air Quality Fact Sheet. You can also advocate for your district to apply for school air funding remediation, using the resources below.
New Jersey Healthy Indoor Air Quality for Public Schools fact sheet
American Lung Association, Clean air school challenge
US Green Building Council Center for Green Schools
Review NJEA’s indoor air quality archives and see next month’s article about tackling indoor air issues.