Environmental Exposures in Child Care Facilities Study

Child Playing in Child Care Center

The Environmental Exposures in Child Care Facilities study focuses on environmental exposures in child care facilities, including infant day care, child care centers, preschools and nursery schools. Facilities are varied and can include home-based child care, privately-run centers, programs run by government (e.g., Head Start), school districts, or religious institutions and are located in a variety of building types. 

Infant Exposures Compared to Adult Exposures

Study at a Glance: 
  • Study Objectives: Investigate levels of air pollutants in child care facilities and examine levels of less hazardous dust pollutants. Identify and understand factors associated with increased levels of contamination. Determine the health risks these exposures create by comparing measured levels and estimates to reference levels and air quality standards. Develop inexpensive strategies for child care providers to reduce exposures to children in their facilities.
  • Geographic Area: California
  • Participants: 40 child care facilities
  • Study Tools: Air sampling, dust sampling, questionnaires
  • Community Partners: California Childcare Health Program
  • Principal Investigators: Dr. Asa Bradman 
  • Funders: California Air Resources Board (CARB), California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR), National Institute for Environmental  Health Sciences (NIEHS) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Impact:

Little is known about what chemical and environmental exposures they may be receiving in these settings. Focusing on children's health and environmental exposures in child care facilities is critical for many reasons:

1.) Children are more vulnerable to environmental exposures than adults because they breathe more air, eat more food, and drink more water per unit of body weight compared to adults. Because they exhibit exploratory behaviors that place them in direct contact with contaminated surfaces, they are more likely to be exposed to any contaminants present. They are also less developed immunologically, physiologically, and neurologically and therefore may be more susceptible to the adverse effects of chemicals and toxins.

2.) Children also spend a great deal of time in child care settings. Many infants and young children spend as many as 50 hours a week, in child care. Nationally, 13 million children, or 65% of all U.S. children, spend some portion of the day in child care and in California alone, approximately 1.1 million children five years or younger attend child care. In this same state, many adults may also be exposed as approximately 146,000 staff work 40 hours or more a week child care facilities.

3.) Child care environments contain substances that can be dangerous for children. Recent studies indicate that many child care environments may contain lead, pesticides, allergens, volatile organic chemicals from cleaning agents and sanitizers, and other contaminants that might be hazardous to children’s health.

Results of this study were reported to the California Air Resources Board.  Our findings help inform policies to reduce exposures to children, support workshops and training to educate child care providers about ways to reduce children’s environmental exposures (ex. using integrated pest management to reduce pesticide use), and plan for future studies.

Click here to view a directory of our Child Care Studies.

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