Asthma is a big problem in schools, and reducing it is a way for cleaning product distributors to make a big difference. Asthma is the leading chronic illness causing student absenteeism in schools; one out of every 10 school-age children has asthma, accounting for 13-14 million missed school days per year. Since many of the environmental factors that trigger asthma are also linked to other illnesses, reducing these triggers can reduce the incidence of other ailments including allergies.
Schools are typically funded based on attendance, so reducing asthma and related maladies will improve attendance and associated school budgets, making savvy distributors part of a vital proposition: creating healthier schools doesn’t cost, it pays.
What Causes Asthma?
The causes of asthma are complex and involve factors ranging from genetics to diet to stress to environmental health. While distributors can’t impact genetics, diet or the stresses placed on children, they can minimize potential asthma triggers related to cleaning at school and school environments.
Putting a Finger on Triggers
Although triggers that cause an asthma episode vary from person to person, there are several common triggers associated with schools:
• Allergens such as pollen, animal dander, dust mites, cockroaches, and molds
• Irritants such as disinfectants, pesticides, fragrances or odors from cleaning products, and chalk dust.
Prevention or Source Control - Key Strategy
There are three main ways to improve indoor air quality and reduce asthma triggers:
1. Source Capture – stopping contaminants or pollutants at the source;
2. Ventilation – bringing fresh air in to dilute pollutants and triggers;
3. Air cleaning – cleaning the air to remove airborne matter.
Of the three, source capture (aka, source control or prevention) is the most important and effective method.
Distributor Interventions
Promote products that truly clean – that is, methods that remove contaminants or pollutants or stop them at the source rather than add them to the environment or redistribute them.
Mats
Mats provide passive cleaning or source capture; the more matting the better. Mats remove particles (outdoor pesticides, allergens, heavy metals) from shoes before dusts can enter the building and become airborne. Mats should be placed outside and inside - bi-level, scraper-type outside and absorbent, drying-type inside - entranceways, and be changed or cleaned frequently.
Vacuums
Choose those that remove and capture the most dust. Both properly-filtered HEPA vacuums and non-HEPA models can be effective because particulate capture has more to do with the way vacuums are designed and filters are configured than with any particular or single filter technology. The Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) provides good guidance on vacuums that clean well while keeping dust out of the air (these include both HEPA and non-HEPA models).
Choose high quality filters for vacuums. In some cases, OEM filters are better than generics because of enhanced media quality that traps more dust while maintaining airflow longer. If in doubt, ask for test data and look for high efficiencies of removal at small particle sizes (e.g., 99+% at .3 micron) and sustained airflow rates.
Provide a vacuum maintenance log for customers and encourage frequent filter changes and vacuum inspections. Great vacuums become poor vacuums if not maintained well. Filters are relatively inexpensive, while lung damage, other health impairments and labor to remove resettled dust are not.
Carpet and Other Floor Care
Encourage customers to keep floors clean – both carpet and hard surfaces. Contrary to popular misconception, when it comes to allergies and asthma, carpet is not the problem, lack of proper cleaning of carpet is. Help clients schedule carpet vacuuming at regular and frequent intervals using CRI-approved vacuums; going slow and repeating passes to extract the most dust (more passes equals more dust removed, up to about 80% or so.) Carpet holds dust better than hard floors and does not release it until the fibrous “sink” becomes full. Vacuum (empty the sink) regularly to prevent the buildup and release of allergens. Hard floors need even more frequent cleaning because dust on smooth surfaces becomes airborne more easily; vacuuming with a brush attachment where practical is preferable to dust mopping since it removes more soil. Extract (wet clean) carpet regularly to remove sticky soils and residues. Ditto for hard floors; clean flooring attracts, holds and releases less dust.
Dusting Tools
Promote vacuuming above-floor surfaces where possible with a properly filtered vacuum to remove dust. Alternately, recommend microfiber or other retentive technologies (disposable non-microfiber dusters may also provide good retention) to capture and remove particles. Even a damp cotton cloth can be a good choice since it will tend to remove and contain rather than stir dust.
Encourage school staff and students to remove clutter from classrooms and other spaces. Clutter provides more surface area, hiding places and distribution points for dust. Eliminating these surfaces will reduce dusting and cleaning labor and overall airborne dust.
Chemical and Non-Chemical Cleaners
According to K.D. Rosenman, MD, Department of Medicine, Michigan State University: “Cleaning products contain a diverse group of chemicals…Their potential to cause or aggravate asthma has recently been recognized.”
It makes sense to limit or target the use of products containing ingredients such as bleach, quaternary ammonium compounds or “quats”, phthalates, and harmful VOCs (volatile organic compounds), and to consider appropriate alternatives or non-chemical options.
Ingredients such as bleach, quats, phthalates, and many VOCs found in typical cleaning products have all been suspected as causing or worsening asthma or other respiratory ills.
Residential cleaning services using bleach-containing formulas are at increased risk of asthma. Bronchitis, shortness of breath, coughing and other respiratory problems are linked to regular use of bleach-based and other ‘irritating’ cleaning products.
Phthalate, a common ingredient in product fragrances, ends up in dust that school children inhale. According to Science News Magazine: “…children exposed to … dust with the greatest concentrations of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) were 2.9 times as likely to have asthma as were children exposed to the lowest concentrations of that phthalate.”
Use of quats - compounds in floor cleaners and disinfecting products - may also promote asthma. Volatile ingredients in foodservice or kitchen cleaning formulas, furniture polishes, and other cleaners can irritate mucous membranes and contribute to respiratory issues.
Avoiding products containing these ingredients makes sense when non-asthma-inducing alternatives are available. Good ventilation is also vital when products containing asthma triggers are used.
Water-based Cleaning
Some schools are having success with water-only cleaning including microfiber cloths and tap water in place of all-purpose cleaners for hard surfaces, floor scrubbing machines using just tap water or activated water, activated water for general purpose cleaning and possibly sanitizing, steam vapor units for cleaning and disinfecting, and other methods.
IAQ Walk-Throughs with Customers
Conducting IAQ walk-throughs with customers can help identify indoor air quality problems and sources, and open up solution-driven sales opportunities. At a minimum, look in cleaning closets for asthma promoting products and suggest replacements. Check vacuum cleaners and filters for proper equipment selection (e.g., CRI approval) and maintenance, and provide maintenance logs and reminder systems to promote clean filters and regular cleaning. Offer training on better methods to remove soil and prevent airborne matter (how one cleans is often as important as what one cleans with).
If you want to engage in more sophisticated complete-facility walk-throughs involving HVAC systems and more, visit http://www.nwcleanair.org/aqprograms/indoorAir.htm.
Measurement Tools
Carbon dioxide (CO2) meters are increasingly being used to detect the carbon dioxide exhaled by students in classrooms to assess overall indoor air quality, especially as it relates to the buildup of potential “triggers”.
Carbon dioxide is considered a surrogate for other airborne gases and its buildup often indicates poor ventilation and the potential concentration of other airborne contaminants (VOCs, etc.). If you choose to measure carbon dioxide with a portable meter, manufacturers of these devices provide training and guidance on interpreting results. Having this information will enable a dialog with other school maintenance personnel such as those responsible for HVAC systems.
Particle counters are useful to assess the number of airborne particles as well as to check vacuum cleaners for dust retention. As a rule of thumb, the number of very fine particles indoors should be half of the count outdoors. In addition, particle counters can help you identify sources of particles and to troubleshoot solutions. Vacuum cleaner exhaust can be measured to determine how many particles and what sizes are being released; which is an indication of the effectiveness of filters and overall dust containment - or release.
Relative humidity and moisture meters are useful for determining conditions favorable for mold growth. Relative humidity meters measure the moisture content of the air, whereas pad or pin-type moisture meters provide a measurement of moisture within materials. Finding and eliminating unwanted sources of moisture will reduce potential for mold growth, exposure to which can trigger asthmatic episodes.
