Chalk
Dust - Harms People and Equipment!
The
three main arguments for the change to whiteboards are:
-reduced allergy problems in the classroom,
-the negative effects chalk dust may have on electronics
and
-increased personal convenience.
Chalk dust particles stay suspended in the atmosphere.
Once in the atmosphere, they can be carried by air great
distances - into equipment and your lungs!
Reseach
Findings:
Chalk Dust & Dirt Accumulation.
According to the Academy of Allergy and Immunology,
"Chalk dust "IS AN IRRITANT THAT CAN TRIGGER
AN ASTHMA ATTACK, AND STUDENTS WHO HAVE ALLERGIES TO
DUST PARTICLES OR WHO HAVE ASTHMA SHOULD STAY AWAY FROM
CHALK BOARDS AND ERASERS."
"The allergy, asthma and immunology academy recognizes
chalk dust as being more of a problem for elementary
and middle school students with allergies and asthma
than for college students." 1
1 From "Chalk it up to experience" , Iowa
State Daily 10-21-04
Coal,
Chalk Dust, Talcum Powder, Saw Dust. (Irritant)
These triggers are in the form of "respirable particulates."
They are tiny particles that are easily breathed in.
For some people, these dusty triggers are a part of
everyday work life.
How to Avoid Problems
It's especially hard to avoid your triggers if they
are found at your job. Before you change jobs, try these
suggestions:
-Use a respirator (or face mask) made for the job you
are doing. If your employer does not give you one, you
can buy one yourself. Look for a well-fitted dust mask
approved by the Mine Safety and Health Administration
(MSHA) or the National Institute for Occupational Safety
and Health (NIOSH). .... * If you are a teacher, consider
using a white board with erasable markers instead of
a chalkboard 3
3https://www.healthenvelope.com/healthenvelope/page/asthma_commontriggers
"IS IT A SCHOOL PROBLEM? Asthma in America: A Landmark
Survey, a 1998 study funded by Glaxo Wellcome, Inc.,
found that nearly 5 million children in the United States
suffer from asthma. The chronic airway disorder restricts
breathing and can, if uncontrolled, result in death.
Children with asthma, the study revealed, miss more
than 10 million schooldays each year. The result is
an inestimable loss of educational benefits and an estimated
$1 billion a year loss in productivity by the working
parents who stay home to care for asthmatic children.
According to the Global Initiative for Asthma, however,
most of the physical, monetary, and global costs of
asthma "can be alleviated through appropriate asthma
prevention and management strategies."
According to Sandy Hart, a spokesperson for the American
Lung Association, both schools and teachers can take
immediate action to reduce the consequences of childhood
asthma for their students. Hart told Education World
that schools and school districts should .... reduce
or eliminate such asthma triggers as dust, chalk dust,
mold, and chemical odors from schools' physical environments."4
4 http://www.education-world.com/a_curr/curr136.shtml
