Oct 31, 2002 By Steve Ostrosky 4 min read

WAYNESBURG – Air quality tests conducted last month at Waynesburg Central Elementary School revealed high levels of carbon dioxide in a fifth-grade classroom where two students have fallen ill, Central Greene School District officials announced Wednesday. After the district made recommended repairs, tests done last week show that the carbon dioxide concentration has returned to normal levels.

At a Wednesday morning press conference, Tim Budacki, president of Hazard Management Associates of Sewickley, discussed the results of the latest round of testing, which was prompted by complaints from two parents that air quality in the school might be to blame for their children’s health problems.

On Sept. 23, Professional Service Industries Inc. of Pittsburgh conducted independent tests for mold, bacteria, fungi, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, temperature and relative humidity. The first round of tests showed normal levels in all fields, with the exception of the one third-floor classroom, which had carbon dioxide levels 2.4 times the recommended level of 1,000 parts per million.

“There was a problem with the unit ventilator in that room, and we found that the fan speed and the outside air were out of sync,” Budacki said. “We wouldn’t have known that without testing.”

According to Budacki, in children with pre-existing medical conditions, the elevated carbon dioxide levels could work in tandem with symptoms and may have caused the respiratory distress that Kim Dawson reported in September that her son, Robert Ingram, was experiencing.

At levels around 5,000 parts per million, drowsiness, lightheadedness and headaches are common symptoms in people, he said.

Superintendent Dr. Jerome Bartley said another parent came forward and said her daughter, in the same classroom as Ingram, was having stomach problems. Bartley said both students spent two weeks at Perry Elementary School and have both since returned to Waynesburg Central Elementary, while Ingram has been moved to a different classroom.

Budacki said air quality is a problem in schools that were constructed when energy conservation was the big issue, and Waynesburg Central Elementary is one of many schools throughout the country where fresh air has been kept out. Adjustments have been made to increase the amount of fresh air entering the school, and air filters are checked monthly and replaced every three months, according to district business manager Walter Stout.

“The system was made to close off fresh air, and there was nowhere to go back and adjust it to bring in ample amounts of air,” Stout said.

Bartley said a district air quality committee – composed of members of the faculty, administration, maintenance and the community – meets monthly to stay on top of any problems and attempt to address them before opting for more testing.

Stout said the district has paid roughly $80,000 for testing and professional advice in regards to the elementary school, which opened to students in February 1997. Last year, a detailed study of air quality and three rounds of tests at the school led to 15 recommendations that the district was asked to implement, one of which included removing wooden mulch from around the school and adding drainage, at a cost of $36,000.

Along with the mulch removal, new filters that cost more and are replaced more frequently are also part of the $80,000 total, he added.

For now, Budacki recommends that the district continue the maintenance schedule it implemented last year and conduct annual tests. The school board is in discussions to move the annual test from November to September, when pollen counts tend to be higher.

“Adjustments have been made, random re-tests have been done in that specific classroom and in other parts of the school and all are within normal levels,” he said. “The building is safe and healthful for the children, staff and community entering it.”

Stout said copies of the tests are available for review at the district administration building.