GREENGUARD Environmental Institute Founder to Present at Inaugural Green Schools National Conference in Minneapolis

Conference to bring together educators, parents, community leaders, lawmakers, and other key influencers to learn about and promote greener, healthier schools

ATLANTA, Oct. 20 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The GREENGUARD Environmental Institute is pleased to announce that its founder, Dr. Marilyn Black—a world-renowned environmental health and indoor air quality expert—is a featured speaker at the first Green Schools National Conference Oct. 24-26 in Minneapolis, Minn.  

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The Green Schools National Conference will bring together teachers, school administrators, parents, green building and design professionals, business and community leaders, lawmakers, and children's health experts from across the U.S. to push for cleaner, greener, healthier school systems nationwide.  

Dr. Black's presentation will focus on how to create healthier, energy efficient, green schools.  It will also address the ubiquitous problem of indoor air pollution and chemical exposure in schools, as well as the health implications of such exposure—particularly among children.  

"It's horrible to consider that, in the last 14 years, asthma rates among children have skyrocketed 160-percent," Black says.  "Why is this happening? Increasingly, the evidence points to indoor air pollution. Children, after all, spend upwards of 85-percent of their time indoors, where the air can be two to five times more polluted than the outdoor air. And, considering how much of that time is spent inside school buildings—we're talking eight hours a day for roughly 10 months every year—the potential for exposure to toxic industrial cleaners, high-VOC-emitting products, and other pollutants is extremely high."

Research shows that children who are regularly exposed to airborne chemicals, such as formaldehyde and other volatile organic compounds (VOCs), are four times more likely to develop asthma than children who have not been exposed.  This is significant because asthma accounts for more than 14 million missed school days in the U.S. each year, according to the Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America.

"It's clear that something needs to be done to remediate schools, and soon," Black says.

In addition to Dr. Black's feature presentation, Leslie Gage, market segment manager at the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute and Director of Associate AIA Georgia, will deliver a continuing education unit (CEU) about how poor indoor air quality can affect student and teacher performance.  Dr. Elliott Horner of Air Quality Sciences, Inc.—one of GREENGUARD's scientific partners—will also give a presentation about mold and moisture issues in schools and ways to prevent them.

The GREENGUARD Environmental Institute is a proud Emerald Sponsor of the first Green Schools National Conference.  For more information about the event, visit GREENGUARD's official blog, Certifiably Green, or log onto www.greenschoolsnationalconference.org.

About GREENGUARD Environmental Institute (GEI)

The GREENGUARD Environmental Institute aims to protect human health and improve quality of life by enhancing indoor air quality and reducing people's exposure to chemicals and other pollutants.  As an ISO-IEC Guide 65:1996 accredited, third-party organization, the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute certifies products and materials for low chemical emissions and provides a resource for choosing healthier products and materials for indoor environments.  All certified products must meet stringent chemical emissions standards based on established criteria from key public health agencies. GREENGUARD Certification is broadly recognized and accepted by sustainable building programs and building codes worldwide.  For more information and a complete listing of certified products, visit www.greenguard.org.

SOURCE GREENGUARD Environmental Institute