THOUGHT LEADER
What Are the Long-Term Effects of Disinfecting School Buses?
Written by Dr. Richard Cooper U
nprecedented. This word has become all too familiar during the current
COVID-19 pandemic, and while most of us are growing weary of the current crisis and hearing this word, it is still an appropri- ate way to start this article. As our society struggles to
return to some type of normal- cy, we are seeking new ways to protect public spaces and trans- portation, especially the school buses that take our children to and from school. In an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other diseases, many ap- proaches are being developed to disinfect school buses, ranging from manually wiping down high-traffic touch areas with disinfectant to a variety of different spray options. Each has pros and cons that cannot be covered in this short ar- ticle, but there are some general considerations to share. There are a variety of different spray systems available, including small, battery-operated, hand-held foggers, to backpack sprayers, and permanently mounted automat- ed systems. Each of these systems are designed to spray some type of disinfectant to kill any pathogens that could be found in a bus or classroom. It is incumbent upon the school district to do its homework and consid- er all angles of a system before purchasing it. Any system that relies heavily on the human element for application could result in inadequate coverage and potentially be labor (hence cost) intensive. But more importantly than choosing the delivery system, we should first consider the safety of the disin- fectant itself. There are at least three questions that need to be asked: What are the long-term effects on people? What are the long-term effects on safety components of the bus? Does the disinfectant kill pathogens as claimed? Let’s consider each of these questions individually.
54 School Transportation News • MARCH 2021
Long-Term Effects on People Prior to this unprecedented time, regular disinfecting
of buses and public spaces may not have occurred consistently. (While many would say, “There was no need,” think about the reduction in the spread of the common cold, flu or stomach viruses, if routine disinfection occurred.) As a result, the impact of human exposure on an occasional basis was not considered, and why would it have been? Most disinfectants that are registered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regardless of type, state that they are safe below a given concentration, so a once-per- month application is not a concern. However, if one takes the time to look at the active ingredients in many of the chemical-based disinfectants currently available, exposure to higher concentrations of the active ingredient can lead to a myriad of unwanted side effects. Studies on human exposure to these chemicals contained in a fine mist or fog several times a day or residue build up have yet to be conducted. Before now, there was simply no urgency to do so.
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