Now that the kids are back in school, we want to focus our efforts on influencing school health. Schools, like all premises where there are a lot of people, have tons of germs that can easily spread from child to child, or child to teacher. One of the reasons germs are so prevalent in schools is because children are still learning proper cleaning and sanitizing techniques, meaning their germs spread more rapidly and easily.
They may not know to cover their mouth and nose when they cough or sneeze, washing their hands after using the restrooms, or washing when they come inside from recess. There are lots of opportunities at school for kids to catch a bug and get sick. If you’re a parent at home, you know that back-to-school time is a period where many kids get sick. Painting with Activa Coating is one of the number one resources schools have to protect everyone against those back-to-school germs.
Vulnerability
Children are far more vulnerable than adults for catching germs. Therefore, when they spend forty plus hours a week around other children who are also susceptible to germs, they are spending nearly a third of their time being bombarded by germs. Children have between six and ten colds a year, varying in severity, and these germs put other children and their families at risk. This is especially scary if the child has a younger sibling at home. Most families will all catch the same cold if a child brings it home from school.
Germs aren’t the only thing that affect your children at school. Pollution is another serious contaminant that needs to be removed from schools with Activa Coating so that children can learn, work, and play easier. When children don’t have to worry about exacerbated asthma, disruptions, and missing out on school, we are preparing them to have a brighter and more fulfilling future. It’s important that we do everything we can to keep our kids in school, since they are all our future.
Activa Studies In Schools
Based on a study done with Activa in London, UK, it is currently accepted that indoor pollution is greater than outdoor air pollution. In this study, we found that the indoor air pollution was 2-3 times worse than outdoor. These types of studies lead to fascinating results, but it must be remembered that Activa’s photocatalysis works when polluted air moves across the painted surface. That means that when these studies are conducted in an open room, the polluted air moving in skews the results. When tested in a completely closed facility, the results of removing pollutants from the air closely nears 100% removal ratings.
These tests were conducted by testing Activa in two separate classrooms: one with Activa and one without. In a school in Italy, the classroom with Activa saw a 19% reduction in CO (carbon monoxide), 13% reduction in SO2 (sulfur dioxide), and a 59% reduction in NO2 (nitrogen dioxide). Another classroom in Italy, painted with Activa, saw a 40% reduction in VOC (volatile organic compounds), 80% reduction in benzene, and a 37.5% reduction in toluene. Another classroom saw a 37.5% reduction in NH3 (ammonia/azane), while another saw a 47% reduction in NOx (nitrogen oxides).
Read full study here: Photocatalytic treatments in schools
What do those chemicals do to humans?
CO/Carbon Monoxide: Increased CO in our air reduces our bodies ability to receive oxygen. With an increase in CO, by inhaling this pollutant, it inhibits our hemoglobin in our red blood cells from transferring oxygen to our organs. This can result in brain, nervous tissue, and heart damage.
SO2/Sulfur Dioxide: When this pollutant is breathed in, it can irritate our nose, throat, eyes, and airway, leaving us to cough, sneeze, wheeze, and can cause shortness of breath. This pollutant is especially dangerous to those with asthma or other sensitive lung issues.
NO2/Nitrogen Dioxide: Inhaling this pollutant can cause inflammation in the lungs, leading to reduced lung immunity. This can lead to bronchitis, colds, flus, and more.
VOC/Volatile Organic Compounds: Since VOCs cover such a wide range of pollutants, they can wreak havoc on our bodies. They can cause nausea, headaches, loss of coordination, liver damage, kidney damage, central nervous system damage, and some have been suspected of causing cancer.
Benzene: This pollutant can cause harmful damage to our bone marrow, leading to a decrease in red blood cells. Which can lead to anemia, but when left to long exposures to benzene, it’s possible to get leukemia.
Toluene: Toluene effects the brain and nervous system the most, causing damage and deterioration. It has also been noted that toluene can damage our kidneys, liver, and lungs as well.
NH3/Ammonia: Ammonia can cause severe irritation to our mouth, nose, throat, eyes, and lungs. It can cause a burning or stinging sensation, eventually leading to air respiratory failure.
NOx/Nitrous Oxides: Nitrous oxides can reduce lung functions, increase the risk of respiratory conditions, and increase negative responses to allergies.
Conclusion
Children are far more susceptible to being harmed by airborne pollutants than adults because their lung size relative to the rest of their body have a much larger surface area than adults. This can cause long term issues they will be faced with for the rest of their lives. Children spend at least 33% of their day in a classroom with other kids breathing in polluted air, and that’s not even taking into consideration all the germs children naturally spread. We must protect our future generations and our environment by dealing with the problems of pollution now. Set your kids up for success and make sure they are living in their healthiest environment. Paint with the paint that will keep kids safe: Activa Coating.
