Cleaning up the air in Europe's schools
By David Landry
Many of our biggest environmental problems stem from collections of molecules that are truly microscopic, anywhere from 10 nanometres to 100 micrometres in diameter.
These threats, known as 'particulate matter,' comprise an aspect of pollution that presents a major health risk to the general population, but children especially. But particulate matter is also one of the fronts on which gains are being made by environmental concerns, which is genuine cause for optimism.
The World eaHealth Organization (WHO) defines particulate matter as "any air pollutant consisting of a mixture of particles that can be solid, liquid or both, is suspended in the air, and represents a complex mixture of organic and inorganic substances."
Major components of particulate matter include sulphates, nitrates, ammonia, sodium chloride, carbon, mineral dust and water.
While particulate matter is emitted from natural sources such as mineral dust, sea salt, forest fires and volcanic activity, industrial activity and internal combustion engines produce massive amounts of these aerosols. Conservative estimates attribute 10 percent of all atmospheric aerosol particles to human activity.
Particulate matter has been identified as a serious health hazard, with long- and short-term effects, at least since 1994 and the WHO's Environmental Health Action Plan for Europe.
One recent study (WHO fact sheet EURO/04/05: 'Particulate matter air pollution: How it harms health') summarised a data assessment undertaken in 2004 by the WHO's European Centre for Environment and Health in 2004, stating that particulate matter, among other hazards, increases the risk of respiratory death in infants under one year of age, and seriously increases deaths from cardiovascular and respiratory diseases and lung cancer.
Due to factors ranging from smaller body size to greater amounts of time spent outdoors, children risk the greatest exposure to particulate matter, and are most likely to suffer anything from short-term to long-term respiratory effects — even brain damage.
Particulate matter is such a high-level concern that it emerged as 'Regional Priority Goal 3' of the Children's Environment and Health Action Plan for Europe (CEHAPE), which was signed by 52 countries during the WHO Europe's Fourth Environment and Health Ministerial Conference, held in Budapest in 2004.
In February, representatives from 52 European countries met in Brussels to launch a review action plan (EED 28/06/04). The WHO initiative addresses environmental threats to child health in four priority areas: water, air, chemicals and injuries.