According to a study by , around 30,000 cases of asthma in children aged 6 to 11 could be prevented each year in France if exposure to certain air pollutants in classrooms were reduced Public Health France (SPF) published on Tuesday, January 30th.
If several data – recently from the Indoor Air Quality Observatory – have demonstrated the presence of pollutants and poor air renewal in classrooms, it is the first quantitative assessment of the impact of air pollution in primary school classrooms on health, emphasizes the health authority.
“This unprecedented work allows us to estimate that tens of thousands of preventable cases of asthma in children aged 6 to 11 are preventable every year in France. [grâce à] a reduction in formaldehyde pollution – as an indicator of increasing global exposure to volatile organic compounds – and mold in classrooms »these are his conclusions.
More specifically, almost 30,000 cases of asthma in these children could be avoided every year by reducing exposure to formaldehyde thanks to ventilation measures, and almost 12,000 cases of wheezing could be avoided by eliminating visible mold in classrooms, explains SPF.
Seen“Public health problem” Given the air quality in schools, where 12 million students return to school each year, it is important to continue measures to reduce sources of exposure and improve ventilation in classrooms, the health authority emphasizes.
Quantitative health impact assessments
In 2024, on-site quantitative health impact assessments will be introduced, which will provide more precise estimates essential for territorial action. “These new assessments will also focus on the impact of road traffic in and around educational institutions in urban areas and allow the health benefits of measures to reduce air pollution to be assessed.”according to SPF.
During his second presidential election campaign, Emmanuel Macron promised the starting signal “Immediately, a massive effort to clean the air in our schools, hospitals and all public buildings”who insists on 50,000 deaths due to pollution, “including some children”.
At the end of August 2023, a group of doctors and associations warned of poor indoor air quality “Too many schools” and asked him to keep this promise.
