title: Environmental allergens and irritants in schools: a focus on asthma.
abstract: As part of the Partners in School Asthma Management Program, environmental data were collected from 385 rooms in 60 elementary schools in southeast Texas, using an Environmental Observation Checklist and a Q-TRAK Indoor Air Quality Monitor. Dust samples for allergen analysis were collected from floors, carpets, and area rugs in 80 classrooms in a subset of 20 schools. CO2 levels > 1,000 ppm were found in 86% of rooms; 69% had indoor humidity above recommended levels. Der p I dust mite allergen levels > 2,000 ng/g were present in 20% of rooms, but only 2.5% of rooms had Der f I mite allergen levels exceeding recommended tolerances. Detectable levels of cockroach allergen (Bla g II) were found in all schools (median 5.5 ng/g), with 10% of rooms over the recommended threshold. Almost two-thirds of classrooms had mold spore counts > 10,000 col/g (median, 14,400 col/g; range, 2,000-52,000 col/g).
authors.affiliation: Center for Health Promotion and Prevention Research, School of Public Health, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 7000 Fannin, 26th Floor, Houston, TX 77030, USA. stortolero@sph.uth.tmc.edu
authors.forename: Susan R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Tortolero
authors.forename: L Kay
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Bartholomew
authors.forename: Shellie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tyrrell
authors.forename: Stuart L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Abramson
authors.forename: Marianna M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Sockrider
authors.forename: Christine M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Markham
authors.forename: Lawrence W
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Whitehead
authors.forename: Guy S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Parcel
mesh_terms: D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000032:analysis*; D000485:Allergens / Q000032:analysis*; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002648:Child; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D062665:Epidemiological Monitoring; D005430:Floors and Floorcoverings; D006801:Humans; D007509:Irritants / Q000032:analysis*; D008452:Maximum Allowable Concentration; D015995:Prevalence; D012574:Schools; D013781:Texas / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D007509:Irritants