January 10, 2006

State Working to Improve Indoor Environment at Day Cares

The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) will begin working with day-care providers this month to reduce the exposure of young children to indoor air pollutants.

“Young children often spend more than 90 percent of their time inside,” said Marjean Magraw, head of the DPHHS Environmental Public Health Tracking Project. “That puts them at greater risk of respiratory symptoms caused by exposure to indoor air pollutants, like smoke from wood stoves or nitrogen dioxide from gas heating and cooking appliances.”

Harmful exposures can result in increased respiratory illness and learning disabilities, she noted. Prolonged exposure to some household products may even cause cancer.

In cooperation with the Environmental Public Health Tracking Project, the Child Care Licensing Program at DPHHS will begin training inspectors of registered day-care homes and centers to look for ways to improve the indoor environment. Inspectors will use a checklist that lists remedies for any areas of concern. Day cares that voluntarily meet the checklist requirements will receive a "Healthy Air Daycare" window display to let parents know that protecting the indoor environment is important to them.

In addition to checking for combustion products, inspectors will look for:

• Lead found in paint and some vinyl mini-blinds;
• Mold;
• Dander from pets;
• Radon; and
• Chemicals produced by herbicides, pesticides, cleaners, air fresheners, scented candles, and cosmetics.

“Children can be more vulnerable than adults to environmental hazards because their systems are still developing,” Magraw said. “This means they're often less able to metabolize, detoxify, and excrete toxins.”

She noted that fewer than half of the synthetic chemicals that have been developed and released to the environment have been tested for potential human toxicity. Fewer still have been specifically tested for their potential effects on children.

For a copy of the checklist or for more information, contact Magraw at the Environmental Public Health Tracking project, 406-444-4871 or mmagraw@mt.gov.

Page last updated: 06/13/2006