EHCC Additional Information and Resources
Air Quality
Factsheet Resources:
Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools
Check the Air Quality Index for your Community: AIRNow or EnviroFlash
EHCC FAQs on Fragrances; Pet Allergens; Candles
Additional Resources:
California Air Resources Board, School Health
Indoor Air Quality Issues for Child Care Facilities
Moms Clean Air Force Asthma E-Book
Arsenic: Treated Wood and Water
Factsheet Resources:
EPA: Chromated Copper Arsenate (CCA)
EPA's "Arsenic in your drinking water" fact sheet
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry: Arsenic
Certifiers of Home Water Treatment Units: NSF International; Water Quality Association; Underwriters Laboratories, Inc.
EHCC FAQs on Chromated Copper Arsenate (CCA)
Additional Resources:
Arsenic Home Testing - Center for Environmental Health
Art Supplies
Factsheet Resources:
Art & Creative Materials Institute
Guidelines for the Safe Use of Art and Craft Materials
Asbestos
Factsheet Resources:
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry: Asbestos
Environmental Protection Agency: Asbestos
EPA Asbestos Ombudsman Hotline: 1-800-368-5888
Environmental Protection Agency: Asbestos in your Home
Environmental Protection Agency: Vermiculite
Built Environment
Factsheet Resources:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Children's Health and the Built Environment
National Environmental Education Foundation's Children and Nature Initiative
Connecticut's SAFER program provides guidance on the siting of child care facilities
National Center for Safe Routes to School
Furniture and Carpets
Factsheet Resources:
EPA: Polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDEs)
Environmental Working Group Healthy Home Tips - Avoid Fire Retardants
PBDE-Free Manufacturer and Product List
EPA: Formaldehyde Chemical Summary
Certifiers of Products and Materials that have low emissions: Greenguard Environmental Institute
Indoor Advantage by Scientific Certification Systems
Eco-Healthy FAQs on Ceramic Tile
Household Chemicals
Factsheet Resources:
CERCH's Green Cleaning, Sanitizing, and Disinfecting: A Toolkit for Early Care and Education
Eco-Healthy FAQs on Fragrances
Additional Resources:
How to Clean Your House without Hurting the Planet
Improving Nutrition and Promoting Physical Activity
Factsheet Resources:
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
Environmental Working Group's Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce: The Dirty Dozen
Additional Resources:
I am Moving, I am Learning - Head Start
Lead
Factsheet Resources:
EPA: Drinking water in Schools
Consumer Product Safety Commission
Lead Hotline - The National Lead Information Center: 1(800) 424-LEAD (5323)
Eco-Healthy Child Care® FAQs on Lead in Tap Water
Eco-Healthy Child Care® Checklist
Additional Resources:
List of EPA-accredited labs that perform water testing at the tap by state
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)
"The Lead-Safe Certified Guide to Renovate Right"
Making Celebrations Healthy
Factsheet Resources:
Making Celebrations Healthy and Active
Seasonal ideas for Healthy Celebrations
Mercury
Factsheet Resources:
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry: mercury
Mercury Calculator for interpreting your fish choices
EPA: Fish Consumption Advisories
Eco-Healthy Child Care® FAQs on Mercury
Additional Resources:
Mercury spills, cleanup and disposal
Montery Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch
National Mercury Reduction Programs Database
The Gelfond Fund for Mercury Research & Outreach
KidSafe Seafood, a program of SeaWeb
Noise Pollution
Factsheet Resources:
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
Noise Pollution Clearinghouse: 1-888-200-8332
World Heath Organization: Guidelines for Community Noise
How to test noise levels in an empty classroom
Pesticides and Pest Management
Factsheet Resources:
Healthy Child Care - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - IPM Training
IPM Toolkit for Early Care and Education Programs (Free!)
Look for Certified PMPs at one of these sites: Green Shield Certified, Green Pro, or Eco-Wise
Additional Resources:
The IPM Institute of North America, Inc.
UC Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program
California School Integrated Pest Management Program
Resource Guide for Integrated Pest Management in Schools/Childcares
Environmental Working Group's Shopper's guide to pesticides in produce
State laws regarding pesticide use in school settings
Pesticide Action Network of North American (PANNA)
Integrated Pest Management: A Curriculum for Early Care and Education Programs
EHCC FAQs on Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
Plastics
Factsheet Resources:
EPA Information for Parents and Providers about Plastics in Child Care Settings
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry: Styrene
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences: Bisphenol A
Smart Plastics Guide for Parents and Children
EHCC FAQs on Phthalates/BPA; Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
Radon
Factsheet Resources:
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Radon
National Environmental Health Association: Radon Mitigation Providers by Area
National Radon Safety Board: Find a Professional
National Radon Program Services: 1-800-SOS-RADON
Recycling
Factsheet Resources:
EPA: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle
Additional Resources:
LEED by the US Green Building Council