Seattle Public Schools (SPS):
A report from public health and scientific experts has concluded that there are no long-term health effects from indoor air quality at South Shore K-8 School.
A registered toxicologist’s investigative report of the school building’s indoor air quality, supported by the work of a materials scientist, states that there is no evidence of sufficient concentrations of airborne organic compounds or particulates that would cause acute or chronic toxicity.
The work was developed by a toxicologist in concert with a materials sciences expert and has been reviewed by the State Department of Health and Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit at the University of Washington. Both the Department of Health and Pediatric Environment Health Specialty Unit concur with the analysis.
The South Shore K-8 building was closed on April 16 as a precautionary measure while the District continued to investigate the source of the odors. South Shore students in grades prekindergarten-5 are being housed temporarily at the Columbia Elementary School building while grades 6-8 students are at Rainier Beach High School, in a separate building for middle school classes.
The toxicology investigation, conducted by Bruce Kelman, Principal Toxicologist for Veritox, Inc., in conjunction with GT Engineering, a materials science firm, found that the odor was caused by a high pH and moisture content in the concrete flooring, which reacted with the carpet adhesive and carpet backing to produce off gassing of the chemical methyl hexanol, a Volatile Organic Compound (VOC).
The Toxicologist’s Final Report can be found on Seattle Public School’s website: www.seattleschools.org. Click on “South Shore Update” in the right column of the home page.
Seattle Public Schools is taking the following steps in the upcoming weeks: ordering new carpet, removing all of the old carpet and adhesive, preparing the concrete surface and installing a sealant, installing new adhesive and carpet and conducting further testing. The goal is to have the South Shore building ready for the first day of school, Sept. 8, 2010.
Photo/Will Austin Photography
Related:
- South Shore Students to Be Split Between Rainier Beach & Columbia City; Limited Childcare Available This Week (4/20/10)
- Brand New South Shore School CLOSED for Rest of School Year (4/17/10)
- Wing of New Rainier Beach School Closed Over Strong Odor; Kids Show Symptoms (4/14/10)
- South-End Scenes: South Shore School Celebrates Grand Opening (9/9/09)
Who to know, where to eat & what to do in one of America’s most diverse zip codes!
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Good luck on that one, seeing as the solution appears to be exactly what they just removed.
Ironic that people would be concerned about this… and yet people will drink their tap water as if flouride is good for them. Your water filter very likely does not filter out the flouride, as those systems are unique and pricey. Europe voted down the flouride additive, and they have the same cavity rates as the US. Flouride is the main ingredient in rat poison. It is more toxic than lead and Chinese studies have shown that the concentration of flouride in our tap water significantly decreases the IQ of those drinking it.
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