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Healthy Schools

Schools can make improvements throughout their buildings and school grounds to protect the health of children and teachers. Reduce the use of toxics by using safer cleaners and disinfectants, organic grass maintenance to eliminate the need for pesticides and more.

Review the materials and resources below to find ways to inform changes in your school:

  • Athletic Playing Fields - Artificial turf on playing fields can contain materials that are hazardous to health. For example, crumb rubber, which is used as an infill in some products contains endocrine disrupters and some are known or suspected carcinogens. 
  • Organically Managed Natural Grass - This method also avoids the use of pesticides, which can affect the nervous and endocrine systems. 
  • Safer Cleaning and Disinfecting - To prevent the spread of COVID-19, it is important to clean and disinfect hard surfaces such as countertops, faucet handles, doorknobs and anything else that is frequently touched. However, disinfectants that contain EPA-registered pesticides can cause health effects, including asthma. 

Grant Project: Informed Green Solutions created an Infection Control Handbook for Schools, which is available online.