On Monday, Mike Lee with the Star-Telegram reported about a new study that shows a link between high air pollution and an increase in school absences at 39 school districts in Texas. As the mother of a child with asthma, and one that lives in Phoenix, which has some nasty air pollution in the winter months, I can absolutely see this being an issue here as well.
“The researchers showed a direct link between student absences and days with high carbon monoxide levels, even after accounting for other variables. That was true even when the carbon monoxide level was as much as 25 percent below the level the EPA considers safe, which is 9 parts per billion.
Each day that the level exceeded the standard would equate to 12 or 13 absences per 1,000 students, and each day the level was 75 to 100 percent of the standard would equate to five to six absences per 1,000 students. “ Source: Star-Telegram
This is problematic not only for the children, who receive the most educational benefit when attending school everyday but for the parents. When a child lives in a home where both parents work, or a single-parent home, this absence also has a financial impact on the family. Taking time off of work isn’t always an easy task for many parents.
I know that when Ava was younger, I’d keep her out of preschool on high particulate days. Those days seemed to have the worst affect on her asthma. Now that she’s in kindergarten, I haven’t purposely kept her home on high pollution advisory days. However, we seem to be dealing with better air quality this winter than in past years.
Photo: kevindooley
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