USA Today reported 15 schools in 8 states elevated levels of a substance used for weapons during World War II. “The chemical that once was weaponized, acrolein, can exacerbate asthma and irritate the eyes and throat. It is a byproduct of burning gasoline, wood and cigarettes, but the EPA has not yet determined the specific sources for the elevated levels it found at each school.” This was discovered because of a $2.25 million program in response to a report by USA Today considering all the possible chemicals found near schools and their effects on students.
“At the 15 schools — in Alabama, California, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, New York, Ohio and South Carolina — regulators found average acrolein levels at least 100 times higher than what the government considers safe for long-term exposure.”
