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“I really want to commend Alaska Youth for Environmental Action and Alaska Community Action on Toxics for bringing this issue forward. It shows that the public process works. Our new policy promotes a healthy and safe school environment for students and staff. We will use non-chemical measures first, with pesticides used only as a last resort and with parental notification.”

— ASD Superintendent Carol Comeau

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Tell us how you are helping to reduce the use of pesticides and other chemicals in your school.

 

 

 

 

Children's Exposure to Toxic Chemicals in Alaska's Schools

School Girl

Children are more vulnerable than adults to harm from toxic chemicals for many reasons, including their smaller body size and the fact that their brains and bodies are still developing.  Certain chemicals found in the school setting are linked to childhood cancer, asthma, learning disabilities and other health effects.

Alaska Community Action on Toxics worked with the Anchorage School District, the largest in Alaska, to adopt a least-toxic pest management policy in 2000. We continue to support their efforts through participation in regular meetings with the administration. ACAT also promotes state legislation that would protect Alaska’s school children from harmful pesticides, toxic chemicals in cleaning products, and other chemicals found in schools.

How Are Children Exposed to Toxic Chemicals in Alaska’s Schools?

During a day at school a child may be exposed to harmful chemicals from multiple sources, including:

Pesticides at school

When ACAT staff talked with pest managers at School Districts throughout Alaska we found that public schools have used insecticides indoors primarily to control rodents and cockroaches, but also silverfish, earwigs, and ants. No schools reported using pesticides on athletic fields or playgrounds.

Schools in Fairbanks, Ketchikan, and Anchorage use pyrethroid based insecticides, especially cyfluthrin (active ingredient) and also deltamethrin and cyhalothrin. While generally believed to be low-toxicity, pyrethroids are suspected hormone disruptors, carcinogens and reproductive toxicants. They are known to be neurotoxic at higher exposures and may cause tingling and tremors.

Fipronil is used against cockroaches in Alaskan schools. Fipronil belongs to the pyrazole family of pesticides and is a suspected endocrine disruptor and carcinogen.

Abamectin has been used in the Anchorage School District to control cockroaches. This active ingredient is associated with birth defects such as cleft palates and is considered a reproductive toxicant by the EPA and the State of California.

Chemicals in cafeteria food and snacks sold at school

Conventionally grown fruits and vegetables may contain harmful pesticide residues. Certain organochlorine pesticides that are ubiquitous in the environment and break down very slowly build up in animal fat and can be found in some meat and dairy products. Children may also be exposed to the chemical bisphenol-A which is used in the epoxy resin lining of canned goods and can leach into foods.

Organochlorine Pesticide fact sheet pdf

Bisphenol-A fact sheet pdf

Chemicals in cleaning products used in schools

Certain ingredients found in cleaning products may be hazardous to health. ACAT looked into the cleaning products used in the Anchorage School District and found that the ingredients in two of the cleaners are suspected toxicants. Ethylene glycol is a suspected toxicant of these body systems: cardiovascular/blood, developmental, endocrine, GI/liver, kidney, neurotoxicant, reproductive, respiratory, skin/sense organs.  Sodium metasylacate, another ingredient found in cleaning formulas used in the Anchorage School District is a suspected GI/liver toxicant.

Pollution from idling cars and busses

Parents often let their cars idle in front of schools while waiting for their kids on cold Alaska winter days. When vehicle exhaust enters school buildings through doors or vents, children and others inside may breathe polluted air. Benzene and toluene are solvents found in gasoline. Benzene is known to cause cancer. Research suggests that it can also induce diseases of the blood. Long-term exposure to toluene has been linked to mucus membrane irritation, intoxication, an increase in spontaneous abortions and other adverse health effects.

Solvents fact sheet pdf

Benzene fact sheet pdf

Diesel exhaust from idling busses is another concern for school children and workers. Inhaling diesel exhaust particles can induce inflammation of the respiratory tract, and increase the incidence of wheezing, bronchitis, and asthma hospitalization.

Petroleum Products and Products of Incomplete Combustion fact sheet pdf

School supplies

Some art and craft supplies are toxic, and are especially unsafe for children. Be sure to send your child to school with safe arts and crafts supplies.

View our Art & Hobby Supplies to learn more.

In addition, school binders, backpacks, and lunchboxes may be made out of polyvinyl chloride (PVC or vinyl) plastic. PVC is dangerous to health across its lifecycle: from production, to use, to disposal. Dioxins, a highly toxic group of chemicals that can cause cancer, and harm the immune and reproductive systems, are used to produce PVC and are released when PVC is manufactured or burned.  PVC also contains dangerous chemical additives including phthalates which are synthetic chemicals used to soften plastic. Children are at risk from even small exposures to phthalates.

Download the Center for Health, Environment & Justice's Back-to-School Guide to PVC-Free School Supplies pdf


How Can Parents and Students Make Their Schools Safer?


Additional Resources