The consideration of health impact of products used in and around schools must be based on the fact that children are uniquely vulnerable and disproportionately exposed to environmental toxins, and that teachers and school staff who are pregnant need to be especially careful about any exposures.

Emerging science continues to expand the list of potentially harmful chemicals in our environment, but it is difficult to establish scientific certainty when it comes to human exposures. In response, many school systems have adopted the "Precautionary Principle" when assessing the relative safety or threat posed by products or their ingredients.

The Precautionary Principle states that "When an activity raises threats of harm to human health or the environment, precautionary measures should be taken even if some cause-and-effect relationships are not fully established scientifically."

To find out more about the Precautionary Principle, you might want to read Peter Montague's excellent article called "The Precautionary Principle in the Real World."

Products frequently used by schools that may have negative health impacts include:

CLEANING PRODUCTS
PAINTS, STAINS AND ADHESIVES
CARPETING
TURF PESTICIDES
INDOOR PEST CONTROL
SYNTHETIC TURF