WASHINGTON, June 9 (UPI) -- A study of air pollution dangers around U.S. schools has identified a need for more extensive air monitoring, especially in pollution hot spots, officials said.
The Environmental Protection Agency, as a result of its school study, says it plans to award $2.5 million in grants later this year for additional air monitoring in communities, USA Today reported Thursday.
A study published in May in the journal Health Affairs suggests air pollution around schools can threaten the quality of children's education.
The study found that children who attended schools in areas with high levels of air pollution had higher absence rates and were less likely to meet minimum standards in English and math.
"These patterns appear strong enough that they need to be taken seriously," University of Michigan professor Paul Mohai, a study author, said.
EPA spokesman Brendan Gilfillan says the agency plans follow-up tests at about a third of the schools it monitored.
