USA Today December 8, 2008 Essay Example for Free

USA Today December 8, 2008 Essay The first article â€Å"Toxic Air and America’s School† talks about how the air that we breathe has been increasingly becoming toxic, which puts children studying in schools that are near areas that emit toxic substances to the air. Because of the growing concern, USA Today together with the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, and the University of Maryland in College Park, conducted a study to determine just how toxic the air that school children breathe when inside the campus. The study showed there were seven schools that had high readings of toxic chemicals and â€Å"the concentrations of chemicals were high enough that they could cause serious illnesses or increase the risk of cancer if people were exposed to those levels for a long time† (USA Today, 2008). The most possible solution for air toxicity, especially in areas where children are constantly present, is for the local government and other concerned agencies to put a stop to those companies that produce the harmful substances. It should be suggested that these companies be relocated to other areas where there are little population so that it does not affect not only the health of children but also of everybody. Another article from USA Today entitled â€Å"Schools can be hit by chemicals from several industries† talks about just how much school children are exposed to harmful substances everyday in school due to the presence of not just one but several chemical industries in the vicinity. Although there are many factors that can affect the dispersion of the chemical substances produced by the companies, the school within the vicinity cannot escape from their harmful effects because there are other factories that can pollute the air and contribute to the overall toxicity of the air. Children are in danger of developing serious health problems because they are exposed in this kind of air throughout the day since they spend the whole day inside the school. As with the first solution, it is recommended that factories that are proved to be emitting high levels of toxic substances in the air should be relocated to places where there are not much people who can get affected. However, it would be a better solution if these companies could lower their toxicity levels such that they do not cause harm to the people and the environment whether they are near schools or in rural areas where the population is fewer. The government and concerned agencies should be stricter when it comes to making sure that these companies do not exceed the levels of the chemical substances so that they do not cause any harm. References USA Today. Schools can be hit by chemicals from several industries. Retrieved December 10, 2008, from http://content. usatoday. com/news/nation/environment/smokestack/interactive/5 USA Today. What USA TODAY monitors found. Retrieved December 10, 2008, from http://www. usatoday. com/news/nation/environment/school-air-snapshotchart. htm