Study links rise in air pollution to lower student test scores
Diesel exhaust from school buses is a common source of
air pollution exposure for kids that can cause health risks
and that exhaust has a fine particle pollution
What scientists looked at in this study the health risks
are enough to inspire some schools to electrify their fleets
New electric buses have drafted in an era of excitement
for students at Marine Joy charter school in Durham
They thought it was the coolest thing when they turn
on the bus you can't hear them
There's no smoke director Samantha Amaral says she's seeing more
smiles and better attendance since the school acquired the battery
powered buses last fall at Joy
We see the whole child right
A healthy child is going to come to school
Vehicles are the largest contributor to ozone pollution in the
state and Children are more vulnerable to dirty air
Children have an increased respiratory rate
They breathe more per minute than adults do so they're
breathing in more pollution when there is high air pollution
A recent Yale study found that air pollution may hurt
academic performance
Researchers looked at standardized test scores and pollution exposure for
every public school student in North Carolina over 17 years
from 2001 to 2018
Even the levels of air pollution are not that bad
We will still see long term effects are damaging children's
academic performance
Now new grant programs are supporting the roll out of
more electric buses at schools across the state
A move with the potential to boost student performance
I definitely see a difference
Even as the kids walk out of the bus they're
happier
Um and they're excited to start their day at school
and they cleaner air to keep buses full and students
focused marine joy charter school recently won an additional grant
from the EPA and plans to add four additional buses
to its fleet of 10 in Durham
I'm Liz mclaughlin Wrel News