Car emissions putting school kids at risk
Air pollution tests have revealed school children are breathing in high levels of toxic chemicals at schools across Australia.
The health threat has prompted laws in other countries forcing parents to switch off their car engines at school drop off and pick up points.
"It's very like passive smoking, the chemicals involved are the same and the route of exposure is the same, and the diseases are the same,” Queensland University of Technology’s Professor Adrian Barnett said.
In a 7News investigation, vehicles idling at school drop-off and pick-up points were revealed to be emitting harmful chemicals that are putting kids at risk of serious health problems.
"We have carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter, volatile organic compounds, it's a really nasty soup of chemicals and there's a whole raft of effects that they can have,” Professor Barnett said.
7News enlisted professional air quality testers to gauge what cars and buses pump into the air.
A testing device at the school drop off point of a Western Sydney school of 600 students revealed a reading of 23.7 and high levels of diesel fumes as a result of Carbon Dioxide emissions.
Testing at schools in Quakers Hill, Cammeray, Thornleigh and Waverton revealed Carbon Monoxide, Nitric Oxides and Particulate Matter peaked at 30 per cent above normal levels as children were arriving and leaving school.
Of the more than 100 cars observed, only four drivers turned their engines off as they unloaded their kids, gave them their bags and watched them walk into the school grounds.
"It can impair general function, tiredness, nausea and lethargy and for kids who are in a learning environment, that's really important,” Senator Greens Richard Di Natale said.
In Brisbane, 7News recorded above average readings of Carbon Monoxide, Nitric Oxides and Particulate Matter.
In Melbourne, toxic gases registered above background levels, especially poisonous, fine particles.
Similarly, peaks of Carbon Monoxide and Particulate Matter were recorded in Perth.
"This is a very serious problem, we know that air pollution causes more deaths than the road toll in Australia,” Senator Di Natale said.
In the United States, Canada, Europe and the UK, laws have been introduced to stop cars sitting alongside schools with their engines idling.
Most recently, a bus company in Massachusetts was fined $33,000 for excessive idling at schools.
Most countries have programs to educate and reduce idling emissions at schools, except Australia.
"It’s simply a case of people aren't aware of it, and we need to make people aware that we can do something that is good for people's health and good for their hip pocket, and that's where awareness campaigns are really important,” Senator Di Natale said.
Switching off your car engine while stopped can save you up $300 per year in fuel, it does not damage the engine and despite the urban myth, restarting a car uses less fuel than leaving it running.
"I think the simplest thing they could do is just ask parents to turn their engines off… it's just if you're a parent and you're sitting in your car and there are children right outside the car, turn your engine off,” Professor Barnett said.
