No parent wants to hear that their child’s school is shut down due to asbestos being found. No teacher wants to learn about this either.
Unfortunately, this wasn’t the case for Indiana Avenue School #18 in Iselin, NJ. For the second time this year, the school has closed its doors to both its students and faculty.
Air Quality Issues at Indiana Ave School #18
The temporary closing of School #18 has raised many eyebrows. It has also increased health and educational concerns among the parents of students. The school has been closed twice now due to air quality issues involving mold and asbestos.
Latest released inspection reports revealed that asbestos was found in the school’s media center. Traces of the carcinogen had also been discovered in three different classrooms.
It is important to remember that there is no safe level of asbestos exposure. Exposing children teachers, and other faculty members at School #18 could lead to serious health complications in their future.
Asbestos is the only known cause of mesothelioma. Every year in the United States 2,000 to 3,000 cases of this incurable cancer are diagnosed.
Asbestos Hiding in Schools
It might not cross your mind, but asbestos can still be found in many school buildings today. If your child attends or you work in a school that was built prior to 1980, it is possible that the facility still contains asbestos.
In 2013, Asbestos Nation did a study that analyzed school inspection records in Chicago, Illinois. What this organization discovered is quite shocking.
Based on the reports, more than 600 different locations in over 180 schools needed asbestos either removed or repaired. The study was updated in 2015. Regrettably, only 11 schools took the recommendations of their inspection reports to protect their student body and staff.
Asbestos-containing materials in buildings can be a threat if they are disturbed. Normal wearing and aging of a building can cause this. Even pushing thumb tacks into a wall insulated with asbestos can release many unseen fibers into the air.
In older schools, asbestos may still be found in:
- Insulation
- Floor tiles
- Ceiling tiles
- Plumbing
- Paint
- Roofing shingles
Assuming your school is following these guidelines – parents, teachers, and all other staff members, it is your right to know.
Teachers and Students at Risk for Asbestos-Illnesses
In the United States, approximately 15,000 victims succumb to an asbestos-related disease each year. Many individuals are diagnosed due to having exposure in their workplace.
Shipbuilders, factory and construction workers, are but only a few occupations that are at high-risk for exposure. You may not think about it, but even non blue-collar workers, like teachers can be victims too.
Not only does asbestos exposure put teachers a risk, but it also puts students at a high risk of developing a preventable disease as well.
It takes anywhere from 20 to 50 years for mesothelioma to develop. Though it is common for a diagnosis to occur in the elderly, there have been cases of young adults in their 20’s being diagnosed.
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Free Mesothelioma Guide
Get the complete guide to fight mesothelioma.
In our free guide, you'll learn about:
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- How you can live longer
- Ways survivors beat the odds
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Show Sources & Author
- Mesothelioma: cases associated with non-occupational and low dose exposures. National Center for Biotechnology Information Search database. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1757769/pdf/v056p00505.pdf. Accessed: 04/03/2018.
- Parents frustrated, angry after asbestos once again found in school. News 12 New Jersey. Retrieved from: http://newjersey.news12.com/story/37841722/parents-frustrated-angry-after-asbestos-once-again-found-in-school. Accessed: 04/03/2018.
- Indiana Avenue School #18 Air/Surface Quality Reports. Indiana Avenue School #18. Retrieved from: https://www.woodbridge.k12.nj.us/Page/38944. Accessed: 04/03/2018.
- Elementary school temporarily closed after asbestos is found. NJ.com. Retrieved from: http://www.nj.com/middlesex/index.ssf/2018/03/elementary_school_temporarily_shutdown_for_asbesto.html. Accessed: 04/03/2018.
- Asbestos Remains Widespread Hazard in U.S. Schools. Asbestos Nation. Retrieved from: http://www.asbestosnation.org/facts/asbestos-in-schools/. Accessed: 04/03/2018.
- Asbestos Nation. Asbestos Nation. Retrieved from: http://www.asbestosnation.org/. Accessed: 04/03/2018.
- Five Myths about Asbestos in Schools. Environmental Working Group. Retrieved from: https://www.ewg.org/enviroblog/2016/03/five-myths-about-asbestos-schools#.WsUAu9PwZTY. Accessed: 04/03/2018.
- Inspectors Find Widespread Asbestos Risks in Chicago Schools. Asbestos Nation. Retrieved from: http://www.asbestosnation.org/facts/inspectors-find-widespread-asbestos-risks-in-chicago-schools/. Accessed: 04/03/2018.
- Work-Related Lung Disease Surveillance Report 2007. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved from: https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2008-143/pdfs/2008-143a-i.pdf. Accessed: 04/03/2018.
- Teachers deaths The Statistical Analysis. Asbestos in Schools. Retrieved from: http://www.asbestosexposureschools.co.uk/p2%20p7teachers%20deaths.htm. Accessed: 04/03/2018.
- Committee on Environmental Hazards PEDIATRICS Vol. 79 No. 2 February 1987 301 Asbestos Exposure in Schools. American Academy of Pediatrics. Retrieved from: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/pediatrics/79/2/301.full.pdf. Accessed: 04/03/2018.
