Newer New Jersey Secondary School Teachers Study, 2021-2023: Insights Pertaining to Indoor Air Quality and Safety

Picture of Philadelphia Regional Center for Children’s Environmental Health (PRCCEH)

Philadelphia Regional Center for Children’s Environmental Health (PRCCEH)

University of Pennsylvania

Dr. Derek Shendell, PRCCEH research member and professor in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health and Justice at the Rutgers School of Public Health, recently co-authored a study that provided training to New Jersey public secondary school teachers and asked them to complete online surveys about safety and health during the COVID-19 pandemic. About half the study participants reported being “very concerned/concerned” about the health effects of cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting products (CSDP). This highlights the need for school leadership to take teacher concerns into account to collaborate with professionals to develop procedures for CSDP use and to ensure adequate ventilation in classrooms.