Environmental allergens and irritants in schools: a focus on asthma.
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).
Tortolero
Susan R
SR
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
Bartholomew
L Kay
LK
Tyrrell
Shellie
S
Abramson
Stuart L
SL
Sockrider
Marianna M
MM
Markham
Christine M
CM
Whitehead
Lawrence W
LW
Parcel
Guy S
GS
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
D000485:Allergens; D007509:Irritants