Asthma

Effectively managing a child's asthma can best be accomplished through a comprehensive plan that addresses both the medical management of the disease and avoidance of environmental triggers. Since children spend most of their time in schools, day care facilities, or at home, it is important to reduce their exposure to environmental asthma triggers as much as possible in each of these environments.

For more information on Asthma, visit:

Asthma and Indoor Environments
Information about common indoor asthma triggers and how to avoid them.

Featured Asthma Resources:

Healthy School Environments Assessment Tool (HealthySEAT)
HealthySEAT is a new software tool from EPA designed to help school districts conduct voluntary, customized self-assessments of their school facilities for environmental, health, and safety hazards.
Source: EPA - Office of Air and Radiation - Indoor Environments Division
http://www.epa.gov/schools

Indoor Air Quality Design Tools for Schools
Indoor air quality is a critically important aspect of creating and maintaining healthy school facilities. IAQ Design Tools for Schools will help school districts find the information resources they need to design, construct and renovate school facilities that will support the schools core mission of educating children.
Source: EPA - Office of Air and Radiation - Indoor Environments Division
http://www.epa.gov/iaq/schooldesign/

Integrated Pest Management in Schools
The Integrated Pest Management Program in Schools program is encouraging school officials to adopt Integrated Pest Management (Integrated Pest Management) practices to reduce children's exposure to pesticides. The program targets school administrators, janitors, custodians, and food workers, as well as parents, teachers, and kids.
Source: EPA - Office of Pesticide Programs
http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/ipm

Environmental Compliance and Best Management Practices Guidance Manual
This comprehensive environmental manual is available on-line in both English and Spanish.
Source: EPA - Region 2
http://www.epa.gov/region02/children/k12/

Green Buildings Portal
Green or sustainable building is the practice of creating healthier and more resource-efficient models of construction, renovation, operation, maintenance, and demolition. EPA's Green Building web portal provides links to energy, waste, water, materials, and indoor environment resources.
Source: EPA-Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response - Office of Solid Waste
http://www.epa.gov/greenbuilding/

NCEF- Healthy School Environments Resource List
National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities resource list of links, books, and journal articles on environmentally safe and healthy school buildings.
Source: National Institute of Building Sciences - National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities
http://www.edfacilities.org/rl/healthy_schools.cfm

LEED for Schools
The LEED for Schools Rating System recognizes the unique nature of the design and construction of K-12 schools. Based on the LEED for New Construction rating system, it addresses issues such as classroom acoustics, master planning, mold prevention and environmental site assessment.
Source: U.S. Green Building Council
http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=1586

Mold Remediation in Schools and Commercial Buildings
This document presents guidelines for the remediation/cleanup of mold and moisture problems in schools and commercial buildings; these guidelines protect the health of building occupants and remediators.
Source: EPA - Office of Air and Radiation - Indoor Environments Division
http://www.epa.gov/iaq/molds/index.html

Managing Asthma in the School Environment
This EPA tool for schools offers nine resources to help manage asthma in school environments, including 10 Ways to Manage Asthma, The Asthma Epidemic, Asthma in Schools, IAQ Tools for Schools, Environmental Asthma Triggers, Asthma Management and Education, Additional Resources, Asthma Action Card, and Daily Asthma Management Plan.
Source: EPA - Office of Air and Radiation
http://www.epa.gov/iaq/schools/asthma/index.html

Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools
EPA's Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools program provides schools with a range of resources to help them prevent and solve indoor air quality problems.
Source: EPA - Office of Air and Radiation
http://www.epa.gov/iaq/schools

Clear Your Home of Asthma Triggers
Brochure on asthma risk management that focuses on the home, but can be applicable, at least in part, to schools.
Source: EPA - Office of Air and Radiation
http://www.epa.gov/iaq/asthma

New Hampshire Healthy School Environments
This website provides links to resources to help schools assess and address health, safety and environmental issues in school buildings. Both a fact sheet on NH Department of Environmental Services (NH DES) efforts to customize EPA's HealthySEAT , as well as New Hampshire customization of the software may be downloaded from this site.
Source: New Hampshire Department of Envrionmental Services Air Resources Division - Air Resources Division
http://www.des.nh.gov/ARD/EHP/HSE

Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools Walkthrough Video Assessment
This is a streaming-video module directed towards schools in city environments. The purpose is to help people identify potential indoor air quality problems and how to correct them. Based on EPA's Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools Program.
Source: Rutgers University
http://urbantfs.digiscript.com/

Collaborative for High Performance Schools
The Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) aims to increase the energy efficiency of public schools in California by marketing information, service, and incentive programs directly to school districts and designers. The Collaborative's goal is to facilitate the design of high performance schools: environments that are not only energy efficient, but also healthy, comfortable, well lit, and contain the amenities needed for a quality education.
Source: Collaborative for High Performance Schools
http://www.chps.net/

California Portable Classrooms Study
The Air Resources Board (ARB) and Department of Health Services (DHS) completed a comprehensive study of the environmental health conditions in portable (relocatable) classrooms. This study investigated classrooms in kindergarten through 12th grade public schools and included a large representative sample.
Source: California Air Resources Board
http://www.arb.ca.gov/research/indoor/pcs/pcs.htm

California -- Sustainable Schools
This website provides a diverse collection of sustainable building resources that will help schools create high performance educational facilities that will ensure the optimal health and productivity of students and faculty.
Source: California Division of the State Architect
http://www.sustainableschools.dgs.ca.gov/sustainableschools/

Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection Improving Environmental Conditions in MA Schools
This website provides links to a variety of web resources that address how to improve the school environment. Topics such as facilities management (including a wide range of environmental, health and safety issues), hazardous waste site impacts on schools, transportation, and waste reduction and recycling are addressed.
Source: Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection
http://www.mass.gov/dep/service/schools.htm

Pennsylvania Green Building Operations and Maintenance Manual
This manual for environmentally preferable operation and maintenance of government buildings and associated grounds is designed to help carry out the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's Executive Order 1998-1 to "incorporate environmentally sustainable practices into [Executive Agencies'] ... operations."
Source: Pennsylvania Department of General Services' Property Management
http://www.dgs.state.pa.us/dgs/cwp/view.asp?Q=118184&A=363

Green Clean Schools
Healthy Schools Campaign has published the first-ever multimedia how-to guide to help schools adopt cleaning programs that encourage the use of green products, equipment and practices in schools.
Source: Healthy Schools Campaign
http://healthyschoolscampaign.org/campaign/green_clean_schools/

Indiana - IDEM E-Newsletter for Indiana Educators
This newletter provides information on a range of environmental topics which schools must address.
Source: Indiana Department of Environmental Management
http://www.in.gov/idem/schoolnews

Massachusetts Environmental Health and Safety Issues in Massachusetts' Primary Schools
The interagency Healthy Schools Council was tasked with identifying a list of the most important issues for schools to address in terms of environmental health and safety. A multi-agency/multi-media checklist was developed addressing these issues.
Source: Massachusetts Healthy Schools Council - Massachusetts Department of Public Health
http://www.state.ma.us/dph/beha/iaq/schools/schools.htm

Tox Town
An introduction to toxic chemicals and environmental health risks you might encounter in everyday life, in everyday places, including schools.
Source: National Institutes of Health - National Library of Medicine
http://toxtown.nlm.nih.gov/index.html

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Tools for Schools Kit
This Web site provides a description of the IAQ Tools for Schools Kit which shows schools how to carry out a practical plan of action to improve indoor air quality at little or no cost using common sense activities and in-house staff.
Source: EPA Region 6 - Tools for Schools Program
http://www.epa.gov/earth1r6/6pd/toolsforschools/tools4u.htm

EPA Guide to Protecting Children's Health in Schools
Software tool developed by EPA Region 5 and Purdue University provides information on hazards found in schools, inlcuding a virtual tour of a school, the potential effects of those hazards on children's health, planning tools, case studies, and lnks to resources to help schools prevent and fix environmental problems.
Source: EPA Region 5 & Purdue University
http://www.epa.gov/seahome/child.html

California - Los Angeles Unified School District Product Review Database
Searchable database of over 5,000 products evaluated by the LAUSD Office of Environmental Health and Safety to determine their suitability for use in and around Los Angeles schools.
Source: Los Angeles Unified School District - Office of Environmental Health & Safety
http://www.lausd-oehs.org/productreview.asp

Washington State School Health and Safety Program
The program provides consultation, technical assistance, and training to local health jurisdictions, schools, and parent groups on school health and safety issues.
Source: Washington State Department of Health - Office of Environmental Health & Safety
http://www.doh.wa.gov/ehp/ts/school.htm

New York State Department of Education Office of Facilities Planning
Contains a wide range of resources on environmental and occupational safety and health issues affecting school facilities.
Source: New York State Education Department - Office of Facilities Planning
http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/facplan/HealthSafety.htm

EPA New England's K-12 Schools Website
This site discusses efforts to improve coordination and integration amongst EPA's many schools related programs, and provides links to Regional topic specific web sites, such as: asbestos, diesel school buses, drinking water, environmental management systems, energy, indoor air quality, lead, mercury and teacher and student resources. Links to national websites are provided as well.
Source: EPA Region 1
http://www.epa.gov/ne/schools

How Asthma-Friendly Is Your School?
Children with asthma need proper support at school to keep their asthma under control and be fully active. Use these questions to find out how well your school assists children with asthma.
Source: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute - National Asthma Education and Prevention Program
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/lung/asthma/friendly.htm

Inventory of Federal School Environmental Health Activities
This inventory was prepared by the Schools Workgroup of the President's Task Force on Environmental Health Risks and Safety Risks to Children and includes descriptions of major school related programs and activities of EPA and other Federal departments and Agencies.
Source: EPA -- President's Task Force on Environmental Health Risks and Safety Risks to Children
http://yosemite.epa.gov/ochp/ochpweb.nsf/content/Inventory.htm/$file/Inventory.pdf

Asthma and Physical Activity in the School
Booklet and video on managing physical activities for students with asthma.
Source: National Institutes of Health - National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/lung/asthma/phy_astr.htm

Asthma Prevention
We don't yet know how to prevent asthma, but there are some things that can lower the chances of an asthma attack.
Source: National Institutes of Health - National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/Asthma/Asthma_Prevention.html

EPA Chemical Emergency Preparedness and Prevention
The Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) establishes requirements for Federal, State and local governments, Indian Tribes, and industry regarding emergency planning and Community Right-to-Know reporting on hazardous and toxic chemicals. The Community Right-to-Know provisions help increase the public's knowledge and access to information on chemicals at individual facilities, their uses, and releases into the environment. States and communities, working with facilities, can use the information to improve chemical safety and protect public health and the environment.
Source: EPA Chemical Emergency Preparedness & Prevention - Chemical Emergency Preparedness & Prevention (CEPPO)
http://yosemite.epa.gov/oswer/ceppoweb.nsf/content/epcraOverview.htm#epcraoverview

Illinois -- Greening Schools
Greening Schools offers FREE technical assistance, workshops for teachers, administrators and facility managers, and on-line resources related to pollution prevention for all Illinois schools.
Source: Illinois Waste Management and Research Center
http://www.greeningschools.org

New York State Guidelines for Green Cleaning Products
Guidelines and specifications for the procurement and use of environmentally sensitive cleaning and maintenance products for all public and nonpublic elementary and secondary schools in New York State.
Source: New York State Office of General Services - Environmental Services Unit
http://www.ogs.state.ny.us/bldgadmin/environmental/default.html

Kentucky Green and Healthy Schools
The Kentucky Green and Healthy Schools (KGHS) Program is a new, voluntary effort to empower students and staff with the tools needed to take action and make their school operate at peak efficiency.
Source: Kentucky Green and Healthy Schools
http://greenschools.ky.gov/

NCEF Resource List: Classroom Design
NCEF offers an annotated list of links, books, and journal articles addressing indoor air quality issues in K-12 school buildings, including building materials, maintenance practices, renovation procedures and ventilation systems. This specific site highlights various resources on classroom design.
Source: National Institute of Building Sciences - National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities
http://www.edfacilities.org/rl/classroom_design.cfm

California Indoor Air Quality Program
This Web site provides factsheets on indoor air quality issues affecting schools and links for more information.
Source: California Indoor Air Quality Program
http://www.cal-iaq.org/

Indiana's 5-Star Environmental Recognition for Day Care Facilities
Program to identify and recognize "green" day care facilities. Includes a multi media self assessment that includes air, water, safety, hygiene, etc.
Source: Indiana Department of Environmental Management
http://www.IN.gov/idem/kids/5star/index.html

Illinois State Board of Education
School construction pages contain information on a range of health, safety, financing and other issues.
Source: Illinois State Board of Education - School Construction and Facility Division
http://www.isbe.state.il.us/

School Indoor Air Quality
This Web site provides answers to frequently asked questions and links related to indoor air quality, including health effects, prevention, and remediation.
Source: University of Minnesota - Environmental Health and Safety
http://www.dehs.umn.edu/iaq/school/

NEA Health Information Network Environmental Health Page
The NEA Health Information Network Web site provides basic health information related to school environments.
Source: National Education Association Health Information Network
http://www.neahin.org/programs/environmental/index.htm

SchoolAsthmaAllergy.com
This Web site contains information about allergies, their causes and impacts on children, especially in school settings. The general SchoolAsthmaAllergy.com site provides accurate, current and useful tools and information to empower today's school nurse as she/he manages the student with asthma and allergies at school.
Source: School AsthmaAllergy.com
http://schoolasthmaallergy.com/

Children's Environmental Health Legislation Database
The Children's Environmental Health Legislation database includes state legislation on topics such as asthma, mercury, lead poisoning, pesticides and indoor air quality.
Source: National Conference of State Legislatures - Washington Office
http://www.ncsl.org/programs/environ/envHealth/cehdb.htm

The Center for Health and Health Care in Schools (CHHCS)
This Web site provides links to information about environmental health in schools found at other Web sites, including best practices in treating asthma, asthma triggers and molds, CDC's initiative to improve building indoor air quality, special report on asthma and indoor air exposures, and FAQs on assessing and improving indoor air quality.
Source: The Center for Health and Health Care In Schools -
http://www.healthinschools.org/sh/shlinks.asp#environmental

12 Steps Toward a Healthier School
Children spend an enormous amount of their waking hours in the school environment. Children are a vulnerable population due to their small size and special physiology, and therefore it is important that schools be as environmentally safe as possible. Listed here are twelve areas of special concern.
Source: Environment & Human Health, Inc. -
http://www.ehhi.org/reports/12schools/

American Lung Association School Programs
The American Lung Association offers a wide variety of health education programs to help students breathe easier. This Web site provides information from asthma education to indoor air quality programs in schools.
Source: American Lung Association - School Programs
http://www.lungusa.org/school/

Children's Environmental Health Program
This Web site describes the Children's Environmental Health Program of the National Safety Council that serves to educate the public on children's environmental health issues like asthma, sun exposure, and lead poisoning.
Source: National Safety Council - Environmental Health Center
http://www.nsc.org/ehc/chldhlth.htm

Michigan Schools and Asthma
Parents, students, and school staff will find important information about how asthma can be controlled at school and at home.
Source: Michigan Asthma Communication Network - American Lung Association of Michigan
http://getasthmahelp.com/intro_schools.asp

National Association of School Nurses
The National Association of School Nurses improves the health and educational success of children and youth by developing and providing leadership to advance school nursing practice.
Source: National Association of School Nurses - Western Office
http://www.nasn.org

Building Materials for the Environmentally Hypersensitive
This practical sourcebook is for persons with environmental hypersensitivities, serious asthma or allergies, and for those who build housing for them.
Source: Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/cgi-bin/webc.exe/boutique/en/st_prod.html?p_prodid=3&p_catid=1);