Directions: In the passage below, circle all of the words that should be capitalized.
as we send our children to school everyday, it's important to know how clean and healthy their schools are. because students spend approximately 14,000 hours inside buildings over the course of their school years, one area of growing concern is air quality in schools - particularly for children suffering from allergies or asthma.
asthma affects close to five million children and leads to 10 million missed school days every year, according to the american lung association. That makes asthma the number one cause of school absenteeism due to chronic illness.
the lack of good quality of indoor air may adversely impact these children - and the adults who teach them. "we know that fresh air, proper circulation and managing humidity are important in our homes," said dr. mary lasley, pediatric allergist. "Why shouldn't this be true in a school?"
part of the air quality problem can be traced to energy conservation. Since the energy crisis in the 1970s, buildings have been tightened up to conserve energy, leading to fresh air circulation problems. And school systems tend to close down heat and air systems at night to further conserve energy. This can easily expand problems of poor air circulation and create excess relative humidity in the school, contributing to mold and dust mite growth.
fortunately, schools can take actions to reduce air quality problems - something as simple as constantly running the HVAC system and proper maintenance can work wonders in a school's environment. "removing dust and soil often from all surfaces is a key element in maintaining good indoor air quality, along with proper ventilation and humidity control," said dr. mary lasley, a pediatric allergist. "parents should work with administrators to ensure the school has an environment that enhances learning while keeping our children comfortable."
many factors may impact the air quality of the school environment, such as air drawn from outside sources, radon, hvac systems, building materials, activities within the building, people, printers and copiers, wet and dry markers, and furnishings. thus, the cleanliness of all surfaces within the school - the floor covering, ceiling tile, walls, windows, furnishings, and counter tops - play an equal role in contributing to a school's air quality. regular cleaning of these surfaces can help decrease air quality problems.
floor and carpet maintenance, for example, can reduce soil, dust and other allergens. carpet is often used in schools to provide comfort for sitting and walking and a quieter and safer learning environment. "carpet is simply easier and less expensive to care for than hard surface flooring," said ken mcintosh, technical director of the carpet and rug institute. "All it takes is regular vacuuming, attention to spots, and extraction cleaning twice a year. properly maintained carpet can help improve air quality in schools because dust that settles on carpet is not easily re-suspended and is kept out of the breathing zone."