Cork County Council working with schools to lessen effects of exhaust emissions on children
A local authority is planning to work closely with schools to lessen the harmful effects of exhaust emissions on children.
Cork County Council looks set to become the first local authority in the country to pursue this goal in response to a recent study carried out by a University College Cork professor.
An Emeritus professor of chemistry at UCC, John Sodeau, noticed increasing air pollution when the schools returned after summer holidays.
The data came from a council-owned air monitoring station in Cobh.
He said schools are often “hotspots” for toxic air pollutants emitted from vehicle exhausts.
Prof Sodeau said children are particularly vulnerable when the cars are at the kerb outside the school because they are not very tall and get the full force of the pollution in their faces.
“An asthmatic child is particularly at risk of developing respiratory problems, diabetes and heart problems in the future," he said.
His comments were highlighted at a meeting of the East Cork municipal district council when Green Party member Cllr Liam Quaide put forward a successful motion that council staff would work closely with schools in the region to alleviate traffic congestion at drop off and pick up times.
Cllr Quaide said the council already worked to ensure the safety of pupils with traffic-calming measures at schools and now he wanted them to work to alleviate air pollution from running engines.
"This problem is a serious health concern. Traffic congestion outside schools is associated with significant air pollution," Cllr Quaide said.
He pointed out that Prof Sodeau had also said that children sitting in the backs of cars in traffic are also exposed to air pollution which can have a serious impact on their health.
Cllr Quaide said a lot of schools had introduced traffic management policies to safeguard children and he said these should be worked on with a pilot scheme focusing on reducing exhaust emissions near schools.
Cllr Quaide said he held a meeting with the principal and vice-principal at St. John the Baptist National School in Midleton.
They are very open to working with the council to alleviate the problems. They have already introduced measures themselves such as staggered drop-off time and a one-way system around the school for parents of students.
"I very much hope the council will heed these issues and engage with the school and other schools in the area to address this problem," Cllr Quaide said.
He said parents often left their car engines running outside schools as they waited to pick up their children and the council should write to schools asking them to stop this happening.
The area's senior roads engineer, Dave Clarke, said he would get one of his officials to enter into discussions with schools and would refer the matter to the council's traffic and transportation section to see if they could be of further assistance.
