Riverdale, NJ, Dec. 28, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — A 2019 study conducted by researchers from the University of Utah’s Department of Atmospheric Sciences found a statistically significant correlation between air pollution and school absences.
Over 135 million Americans — more than 40% of the population — are exposed to dangerous levels of air pollution on a day-to-day basis in their communities. According to the National Lung Association, exposure to unsafe air and the health threats associated with it disproportionately affects people of color and low-income families.
Schools in low-income communities are often built on the cheapest plots of land available, placing them next to high traffic roads and in other high-risk areas for excessive pollution levels. Since school funding is allocated based on property taxes within the school zone, schools serving low-income families do not have adequate resources to upgrade their HVAC systems to accommodate the high-efficiency air filtration solutions that would protect students.
Utah Study Found Link Between Particulate Matter and School Absences
A 2019 study conducted by researchers from the University of Utah’s Department of Atmospheric Sciences found a statistically significant correlation between air pollution and school absences. Even minor increases in levels of PM2.5 in the air in the Salt Lake City School District in Utah were linked to increases in school absences the following day.
While this correlation does not prove a causal relationship, the finding aligns with other research on the topic conducted before and since the University of Utah’s study.
What is Particulate Matter?
Often abbreviated to PM1, PM2.5, or PM10, these microscopic particles suspended in the air are known to cause damage to human health as well as industrial equipment and processes. Particulate matter can be made out of anything.
PM is classified by the measurement of their diameter in microns. Different classifications of particulate…
