Introduction
Tox Town is a customized website that provides educative information on common toxic substances within the environment. This online portal provides information on different types of toxic substances that are found in various geographical locations or how people might come into contact with those toxic compounds. I conducted a tour on the Tox Town website to find out whether there are health concerns in the school environment. This paper provides a summary of what I learned during that tour.
Main body
Under the ‘schools’ section, there was a detailed explanation of possible toxins that can be found within the school environment. According to the information on Tox Town, over 100 million people are comprised of teachers, students, and non-teaching staff who spend up to ten months in the school environment (Tox Town, 2014). In the school environment, there are both open and closed spaces, which can be sources of health hazards. In addition, poor ventilation in schools can be a source of respiratory problems. School occupants can develop allergic reactions to mold and moisture or school maintenance reagents. Dust prevalence, as well as, pest leftovers are other causes of respiratory problems. In addition, some schools are more prone to exposure to certain chemicals than others (Tox Town, 2014). For instance, Radon is present in high quantities in some regions of the country. Radon has been categorized as a potential carcinogen. On top of that, school occupants are likely to be exposed to diesel fumes if they spend most of their time close to school bus parking areas.
A closer look at Redon suggests that some schools are at a higher risk than others to fall prey to the health effects of this toxin. Schools in the following regions are likely to be affected: Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Colorado, Kansas, Iowa, Chicago, Indiana, Ohio, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and New York.
According to the information on Tox Town, Radon gas stems from radioactive decay. Scientists have discovered that this gas can remain underground for years. This gas can diffuse from the ground into the air or water (MP, 2014). Although it is tasteless, odorless, and colorless, radon gas is exceptionally toxic. Modes of exposure to this gas include air and water. Exposure to high quantities of this gas leads to the development of lung cancer (MP, 2014). Apart from Radon, the other health hazards discussed earlier can be found in any other school environment.
Tox Town (2014) provides links to other reliable sources that give a detailed explanation of the toxins under evaluation. Concerning activity two, the selection of a vehicle was considered. Under the ‘city’ section and ‘vehicles’ subsection, there is information on pollution caused by vehicles. Vehicles are said to release pollutants from burning fuel/diesel. Such pollutions cause respiratory tract illnesses, as well as, cancer. When choosing a vehicle, it is important to evaluate its potential pollution statistics.
Conclusion
To sum up, I have highlighted information that was retrieved from the Tox Town website. As noted earlier, this website provides straightforward information on toxins that are present in our environment. Information on this website is listed under various categories. To locate information on any given toxic substance, a visitor to this website must select the appropriate category. Like in this case, I selected the ‘school’ and ‘vehicles’ categories. In the ‘school’ category, Tox Town has highlighted various toxins that are prone in the school environment. They include diesel fumes, poor ventilation, dust, and pesticide residues. On top of that, other schools are located in regions where Radon levels are high. Besides, cars are sources of pollution; therefore, while selecting a car, one must consider the possible pollution output of that vehicle.
References
Medline Plus (MP) (2014). Radon.
Tox Town (2014). School: Radon. Web.