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Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)

Learn how to address school indoor environmental health issues

after natural disasters.

A few weeks ago, Hurricane Sandy tore through the East Coast, destroying neighborhoods and causing severe damage
for millions of Americans. As the rebuilding process begins, EPA's Office of Radiation and Indoor Air staff are committed
to equipping communities with the tools and knowledge needed to ensure that indoor environments in schools are safe
before students, teachers and staff members return. The aftermath of any natural disaster, including a hurricane that
causes extensive flooding, can create widespread health problems that are especially dangerous for children.

EPA's Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Tools for Schools resources can be helpful to schools and school districts as they clean-up
buildings after a natural disaster. These resources help school staff identify and resolve most IAQ problems in schools
with minimal cost and effort.

Access Resources to Help Clean-Up Schools

•	Mold Remediation in Schools and Commercial Buildings: Mold growth can be a big problem
after extensive flooding. Exposure to mold can cause allergic reactions and other adverse
health effects, which can affect student and staff health. The key to mold control is moisture
control. After flooding has occurred, remove standing water and dry indoor areas. Remove
and discard anything that has been wet. for more than 24-48 hours. This document presents
guidelines for the remediation and cleanup of mold and moisture problems in school and
commercial buildings.

•	Environmental Contaminates in Schools: When school buildings are damaged during
natural disasters, special measures need to be taken to ensure common environmental
contaminants, including lead, asbestos, chemicals and mercury, are properly cleaned
up before students return to school. Use EPA's guidance on common environmental
contaminates to learn more about these concerns.

•	Managing Asthma in the School Environment: IAQ in schools has a major impact on asthma
and other respiratory illnesses, which is why it's important to address asthma triggers in
schools during the clean-up process.

•	IAQ Tools for Schools Action Kit: The Action Kit contains checklists that can be used by
facilities and maintenance staff, administrators, teachers and others to address IAQ issues
that often occur after natural disasters. Checklists may be downloaded in PDF formats or MS
Word formats, and can be tailored to meet the needs of individual schools.

Help Spread the Word

Do you know someone affected by Hurricane Sandy? Tell them about the EPA IAQ Tools for Schools resources
that are available to help schools clean up after a natural disaster by sharing these social media posts with your
networks!

Facebook:

• Hurricanes and other natural disasters can cause serious environmental health problems for school-aged
children. Because their bodies are still developing, children are especially vulnerable to health problems that


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result from natural disasters. Use EPA's IAQ Tools for Schools resources on mold, http://www.epa.gov/mold/
mold_remediation.html, and environmental contaminates to ensure indoor environments in schools are safe
before students, teachers and staff members return.

Twitter:

• Make sure your #school is safe after #hurricane #sandy. Check out EPA's IAQ Tools for Schools resources:
http://www.epa.gov/iaq/schools/excellence.html

Questions?

If you have any questions about the IAQ Tools for Schools guidance, please contact the IAQ Tools for Schools Connector
Coordinator at IAQTfSConnector@cadmusgroup.com.

The IAQ Tools for Schools guidance is a comprehensive resource designed to help schools maintain a healthy
environment in school buildings by identifying, correcting and preventing IAQ problems. Learn more about the IAQ Tools
for Schools guidance at http://www.epa.gov/iaq/schools.

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)


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