United States
                       Environmental Protection
                       Agency
                              Air and Radiation
                              6609J
EPA-402-F-00-010E
March 2001
                       CASE  STUDY
                      LITTLE HARBOUR SCHOOL
                      Portsmouth School Department, Portsmouth, New Hampshire
             Indoor Air Qualify
             Tools for Schools
"The IAQ TfS

 Kit helped

 guide our

 Team through

 the process of

 discovery and

 solution."
 -Peter Torrey
 Portsmouth School
 Department Business
 Administrator
             Little Harbour School, part of the Portsmouth School Department, is located in historic
             Portsmouth, New Hampshire's second oldest city. The school serves approximately 400
             students enrolled in grades K-5.

             Approach—Project Description

             School Description
             Originally built in 1969, Little Harbour School is one of five schools that make up the
             Portsmouth School  Department, which is managed and funded by the city of
             Portsmouth. This two-story brick building was built in three distinct pods: an
             auditorium, an administrative section, and classrooms. The style reflected the popular
             theory of the time that students learn better in an open environment. When this method
             of learning was no longer considered efficient, the pods/open classrooms were divided
into smaller, separate classrooms.  The school is 59,394 square feet and is serviced by a forced air-hot
water heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system.

IAQ Team
Priscilla Santiago, the school nurse for Little Harbour School, became concerned about high student
absenteeism rates, the high number of children complaining of respiratory problems, and the diagnosis
of three middle-aged teachers with asthma, in the early 1990's. Suspecting a potential indoor air quality
(IAQ) problem, she distributed a two-part questionnaire to staff in January of 1993: a personal health
survey  and an assessment of the teachers' surroundings (i.e., classrooms). She was amazed to learn
from the results that many teachers had problems with chronic bronchitis and sinusitis.

While attending a workshop on EPA's Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools (IAQ TfS) Program in 1996, Ms.
Santiago learned about the IAQ  TfS Kit. Upon her return, she was determined to make her school a
healthier place for students and staff. She gained support from the school department business
administrator (who had recently attended an IAQ workshop and who worked in Little Harbour School),
parents, teachers, and the Superintendent's office.

In October of 1996, the New Hampshire Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health (NHCOSH), a
non-profit organization providing IAQ TfS training through an EPA grant, contacted Little Harbour
School about participating in a IAQ pilot program. Little Harbour joined the program along with
Pennichuck Junior High School of the Nashua School District. The IAQ Team at Little Harbour included
people  of various backgrounds:  Ms. Santiago, the school department business administrator, a school
custodian, the head of maintenance for the school department, three teachers, and an occupational nurse.

NHCOSH held regular meetings for the two pilot schools, encouraging them to interact and learn from
each other's experiences. The organization also provided these schools with the technical assistance of
an engineer from a local firm and an industrial hygienist employed by the New Hampshire Department
of Health and Human Services, Occupational Health section.

Problem Identification
While the engineer helped the IAQ Team conduct walkthroughs and identify IAQ problems, the
industrial hygienist helped the schools coordinate the use of the IAQ TfS Kit by breaking the process
into easily definable steps.

Using the Kit, the  IAQ Team identified, organized, and prioritized IAQ problems. One of the biggest
problems discovered at Little Harbour was the ventilation system. Originally built for large open
                                                                                                           (over)

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                       LITTLE HARBOUR SCHOOL

                       Portsmouth School Department, Portsmouth, New Hampshire
"We saw a
 significant
 decrease in the
 absenteeism
 rates of
 children,
 especially with
 a severe
 asthmatic
 attending the
 school, since
 we completed
 the IAQ
 upgrades."
 -PrisciUa Santiago
 School Nurse, Little
 Harbour School
spaces, the ventilation system was not redesigned when walls were constructed to create smaller
classrooms. With only two return-air vents (and corresponding thermostats) on each floor, air was not
properly circulating through the classrooms. During their walkthroughs, the IAQ Team realized that
the thermostat controls and several outside air ventilators were not functional. In addition, return-air
vents were closed or blocked with books and bookcases, further preventing proper airflow through the
school. The Team determined that approximately one-quarter of the school's classrooms were not
receiving any air flow at all. Similar ventilation problems existed in the school offices.

Other problems identified by the IAQ Team included:
• Old carpet (dating back to when the school was built in 1969).
• Fungal and mildew growth in classrooms (primarily in classrooms with a high number of plants).
• Water-damaged carpet from leaky faucets in the classrooms.
• Dust and dirt being tracked in from outside because entryway/run-offs mats were not present.
• Poorly insulated and non-functioning windows that leaked air and water and could only be opened to
  a small portion of their potential height.

Mapping out the identified IAQ problems, and comparing them to where the students and teachers with
high absenteeism rates and health problems resided in the school, revealed that absenteeism and health
problems were more prevalent in the poorly/inadequately ventilated classrooms where plants and old
carpet existed.

Lessons Learned

Short-Term  Solutions
The Team focused on making the immediate, low-cost changes throughout the school.  These repairs
were completely funded by the Portsmouth School Department.  One of the first projects was to replace
a malfunctioning pulley system, a relatively low-cost solution that resulted in a 35 percent improvement
in the school's air flow.  Air vents were unblocked in the classrooms, and signs were posted asking
teachers and staff to keep the vents open and free of blockage. These signs also informed teachers that
the air circulation for the entire floor is immediately altered when doors are closed.

Other IAQ upgrades implemented by the IAQ Team included: replacing all windows with efficient,
double-hung windows; initially replacing the carpet with tile in high traffic areas and some classrooms;
placing heavy grates and run-off mats in entryways to catch dirt; using vacuums with HEPA filters; and
enhancing housekeeping/custodial activities.

As a result of the upgrades performed to date, there has been a dramatic decrease in absenteeism  and an
increase in comfort. Visits to the nurse's office with complaints of stomachaches and headaches
decreased by 25 percent the first five months after the Kit was used.

Long-Term Practices and Policies
The IAQ Team at Little Harbour School is currently identifying funds to replace the ventilation system.
The successful implementation of the IAQ TfS Kit and positive results at Little Harbour School have
prompted other schools in Portsmouth to become interested in the IAQ TfS Program. The city is also
focused on a $38 million upgrade to Portsmouth High School, which will include an overhaul of all
operating systems. This project includes upgrades to HVAC, energy management, mechanical,
electrical, and plumbing systems. Because Little Harbour was the pilot for IAQ TfS, it set the precedent
for all schools in the city to create a healthy and safe learning environment.

For more information, contact:
Priscilla Santiago, School Nurse
Little Harbour School
50 Clough Drive, Portsmouth, NH 03801
Tel. 603-436-1708 ext. 242/Fax. 603-436-2835

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