NewslineVolume VII, Issue 7 - March 24, 2006The Carpet and Rug Institute news for industry executives
Special Edition - Indoor Air Quality in Connecticut Schools In This Issue: Indoor Air Quality in Connecticut Schools ForumThe Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) last week hosted a forum in Hartford on "Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) in Connecticut Schools." CRI partnered with a group of Connecticut school-based organizations to host the forum to address a growing concern among parents and school administrators about whether or not carpet contributed to a healthy school environment. The objective of the forum was to discuss how best to achieve good IAQ in schools and to address the pros and cons of carpet in schools. Guest speakers included: Dr. Michael Berry, former director of indoor air research for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Angie Testa, a representative of the American Lung Association of Connecticut; Dr. Alan Hedge, a Cornell University indoor environmental expert; Sandra J. Fusco-Walker, an advocate for Allergy & Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics; Jack Levin, the director of finance and administration for Amity Regional School District in CT; Werner Braun, president of the Carpet and Rug Institute; and Catherine Wilt, Director of Policy, Center for Clean Products & Clean Technologies, University of Tennessee. Each presenter was allotted 30 minutes, followed by a rigorous question and answer session. Eighty-three people registered for the event and included nurses, custodians, facility managers, school board members, PTA representatives, and school superintendents. Werner Braun: Carpet for a Better EnvironmentCRI president Werner Braun welcomed the group and explained that the CRI organization consisted of only science-based information and should be used as the source for information regarding carpet and rugs. Mr. Braun then detailed four basic myths, or urban legends as he called them, and asked the group after each if they had heard or believed the following myths: carpet could not be cleaned and was too expensive to maintain; carpet is a major source for volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including formaldehyde; carpet aggravates allergies and asthma; carpet is a breeding ground for mold. Hands were raised after each of these statements. Mr. Braun then detailed the known data that debunks each of the four myths, citing scientific literature on each. He went on to discuss the additional benefits of carpet in a school environment including safety, acoustics, ergonomics, sustainability, and better student performance, again citing scientific data to back up each of the points. In closing, he asked that the group be open-minded as they listened to the panel discussion. Dr. Michael Berry: Cleaning Effectiveness Studies in School EnvironmentsDr. Michael Berry, currently a research professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, provided in great detail a number of studies that had been done on the indoor air environment, including several in which he had directed the research. Dr. Berry’s primary emphasis was on the cleaning regimen being conducted in schools across the country, citing the fact that 50 percent of schools nationwide were in need of environmental repair (leaky roofs, HVAC, cleaning, etc.). He also pointed out that there is no standardized cleaning effectiveness program or training program in place for school environments, and despite prevailing views to the contrary, a proper school cleaning and maintenance program is cost-effective. After going into great detail to define effective cleaning (removing unwanted matter), Dr. Berry proclaimed that carpets were not the enemy, but rather, poor cleaning and maintenance programs. He urged everyone involved to stop worrying about the type of floor covering they had, and start spending the time and resources to implement a proper cleaning program, which should include: training and equipping the staff; a cleaning plan; a schedule; use of effective cleaning equipment; efficient cleaning techniques; suitable cleaning supplies; prevention methods; timely response; encouragement; and measurement. Jack Levine: How Your School Can Be a SuccessJack Levine, Director of Finance and Administration, Amity Regional School District No. 5, spoke glowingly of the EPA’s Tools for Schools Program and how its implementation at the New Haven Public Schools System had helped catapult the once-challenged system into one of the top 12 school districts in the country as far as improving indoor air quality. Mr. Levine said the system chose the EPA program because of serious mold problems, the high rates of absenteeism, health concerns and the negative publicity it had generated. He said school board and superintendent support were essential to the process and went into great detail to outline the plan that was put into place to use the EPA program and what a glowing difference it had made for the system. He told the group they were in the business of educating children and children learn more in a safe and comfortable environment. The EPA Tools for Schools Program does not advocate ripping out carpet in schools. Angie Testa: Asthma, Indoor Air Quality & SchoolsAngie Testa, Director, School & Community Asthma Program – Connecticut Lung Association, provided her expertise on the subject of asthma, explaining that doctors do not know exactly what causes the affliction or why it develops in some and not others. She said that while asthma remains the leading chronic childhood disease and is the leading cause for school absences, the number of asthma-related deaths is on the decline. Ms. Testa said that because asthma could be triggered by environmental factors and since people spend 90 percent of their time indoors that it is imperative to manage asthma by managing indoor air quality. Ms. Testa went into great detail about the implications of poor indoor air quality and gave suggestions on how to improve it, including vacuuming carpet frequently. She said her group was extremely active in helping school systems set up the Tools for Schools Program and made considerable progress across the state in getting systems to implement the program. Sandra J. Fusco-Walker: Indoor Air – It’s All Around Us!Sandra J. Fusco-Walker, an advocate for Allergy & Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics, told of her own personal experiences with an asthmatic child and how it has affected her life as well as her child’s. The group she represents is active in outreach, education and advocacy for children with asthma. The organization produced a publication called Allergies & Asthma in Schools. One of the organization’s biggest crusades has been to protect the rights of students to carry and use prescribed medication for asthma. She said that because children spend so much time inside a school building, breathing dirty air can affect performance and attendance. Ms. Fusco-Walker said that carpet emissions and allergies associated with carpet are listed among the top eight parental concerns that her group hears. In conclusion, Ms. Fusco-Walker said that children are sent to school to learn and that carpets are simply not necessary for learning. Dr. Alan Hedge: Carpet in Schools: A Problem or a Solution?Dr. Alan Hedge, a Cornell University professor and indoor environmental expert, brought with him a considerable amount of scientific research that been done on carpet and the indoor environment and dissected the studies in depth. Dr. Hedge pointed out what happened in Sweden when the country elected to ban carpet as a solution to the growing incidence of asthma and allergies among the populace. After reducing the market share of carpet in the country to less than 2 percent, asthma and allergies steadily began to increase across the region. Dr. Hedge emphasized the limited number of VOCs -- and their rapid decay -- introduced into the indoor environment from new carpet as opposed to other materials. He discussed the theory behind carpet's acting as a reservoir for allergens and alluded to studies that have shown the amount of indoor pollutants over a carpeted surface are minimal in comparison to those over a smooth surface. Dr. Hedge examined many of the common triggers associated with asthma and allergies and said that while dust mites are hard to remove from a carpet, very few people are actually allergic to the mite itself, but to the feces which can be removed through proper cleaning. He also alluded to the fact that the risk of exposure to allergens is much higher with mattresses and bedding than carpet. Dr. Hedge brought up the point of safety, showing studies that indicate carpet significantly reduces the chances of falls and injuries and ultimately liability claims. He introduced studies on ergonomics and acoustics that showed carpet is superior in each category and what that could mean for increased student performance. Dr. Hedge also detailed the Kunsberg School in Colorado which accepts students with chronic diseases, including asthma, into a controlled environment which includes carpeted classrooms. The study showed a considerable decrease in absenteeism from illness, hospital stays, visits to the emergency room, and follow-up visits to the doctor. In conclusion, Dr. Hedge said he didn’t care if schools had carpet or not, but from the pure standpoint of science, there was no reason not to have carpet in schools, especially considering all the other benefits carpet brings to the overall indoor environment. He also made a point to refute a previous speaker’s opinion that carpets are not necessary for learning. Read Dr. Hedge's Assessment of Carpet in Schools Catherine Wilt: SummaryCat Wilt, Director of Policy, Center for Clean Products & Clean Technologies, University of Tennessee, served as moderator for the forum and gave the concluding remarks for the event. Ms. Wilt said she hoped those in attendance found the meeting informative and educational. She commented that it was obvious there was plenty of misinformation floating around, specifically referencing the myth that formaldehyde is used in the manufacture of carpet when, in fact, it hasn't been used in almost 30 years. Ms. Wilt gave each of the presenters an opportunity for a final comment and when it was brought up that perhaps the agenda was a little too heavily biased in favor of the carpet industry, Drs. Berry and Hedge both rebutted by saying neither represented the industry nor did they have any interest in carpet other than from a strictly scientific vantage point. For more information, contact Jennifer Mendez at 703.875-0634. Check our website calendar for other industry related events |
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