Questions to ask your school or day care provider:

• Is there an Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) management plan?
  Outdoor air should be continuously supplied to classrooms.
• Is there an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) plan?
  Children should not be exposed to pesticides.
• Has the building been testing for lead paint/lead dust?
  There is no safe exposure level to lead for children.
• Is the playground equipment made from CCA treated wood?
  If so, careful handwashing after recess is vital. CCA is an arsenic compound that is harmful to children.
• Is the playground sand free of crystalline silica and asbestos?
  The safest choice is granular (not fine) washed beach or river sand.
• Do you detect chemical odors in the building?
  Furniture made from urea formaldehyde (UF) pressed woods and new carpeting offgas chemicals in to the air. Poor ventilation means these and other chemicals are trapped inside.
• Are the art supplies non-toxic?
  They should not contain solvents (benzene & toluene), asbestos, silica, lead or cadmium.
• Is the room/school clean? Are there door mats?
  Non-toxic, mild, or least-toxic cleaners should be used.
• Are there signs of water damage or mold?
  All leaks and mold damage should be repaired and cleaned immediately.

Limit exposure to diesel exhaust (a chronic respiratory hazard to humans).

Does your school district:

• Prohibit bus idling?
• Allocate the cleanest buses to the longest routes?
• Refit diesel buses with particle traps and catalytic converters?
• Require buses to use ultra low sulfur fuels?

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