Are California’s Portable Classrooms Posing Potential Health Concerns for Students and Teachers?

Recently, the Chico News & Review published an article written by a guest author about the use of portable classrooms.  The author discussed how these portable buildings have become permanent classrooms at many Chico schools and the dangers associated with formaldehyde from building materials off-gassing into these classrooms.  

The article also mentions a study conducted in 2004 by the California Air Resources Board (ARB) and the Department of Health Services (DHS).  The study investigated classrooms in kindergarten through 12th grade public schools.  It included a large representative sample of two portable classrooms and one traditional classroom at several hundred schools throughout the state. A number of environmental problems were frequently found in both of these types of classrooms, including:

•    Inadequate ventilation with outdoor air
•    Classroom noise levels
•    Poor thermal comfort
•    Moisture problems resulting in mold and musty odors
•    Toxic residues in dust that included lead, arsenic and pesticides
•    Poor lighting
•    Formaldehyde levels in nearly all classrooms that exceeded guidelines for preventing long-term health effects, including cancer.

“With students spending many hours of their week in these classrooms, and some teachers spending decades of their lives working out of these facilities, it is critical that they can work and learn in a safe environment,” said Michael Chapman, Laboratory Manager of LA Testing’s Garden Grove facility, California’s leading indoor environmental testing laboratory.  “At LA Testing, we offer a comprehensive range of indoor environmental testing services for microbial and chemical contaminants as well as field instrumentation to measure conditions.  These testing services and monitoring equipment can help to ensure a healthy indoor environment for our students and teachers.” 

To learn more about indoor environmental quality issues in classrooms or other indoor air quality, occupational, health and safety testing services, please visit www.LATesting.com, email info@LATesting.com or call (800) 755-1794.

About LA Testing 
LA Testing is California’s leading laboratory for air quality testing of asbestos, mold, lead, VOCs, formaldehyde, soot, char, ash and smoke damage, particulates and other chemicals.  In addition, LA Testing offers a full range of air sampling and investigative equipment to professionals and the general public. LA Testing maintains an extensive list of accreditations including: AIHA LAP LLC., AIHA ELLAP, AIHA EMLAP and AIHA IHLAP, NVLAP, CDC ELITE, State of California, State of Hawaii Department of Health and other states.  LA Testing, along with the EMSL Analytical, Inc. network, has multiple laboratories throughout California including South Pasadena, Sierra Madre, Garden Grove, San Leandro and San Diego.
 

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LA Testing

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