Analyzing exposure of school children to accidental releases of hazardous substances.

Concerns regarding consequences of hazardous chemical accidents and children's environmental health have increased substantially in recent years. The objectives of this paper are to: (a) demonstrate a methodology for identifying areas potentially exposed to accidental releases of hazardous substances in a large metropolitan region (Hillsborough County, Florida); (b) examine the number and type of schools and school children at risk; and (c) explore the relationship between potential exposure levels and school enrollment patterns in the region. Methods based on the integration of environmental modeling and geographic information systems (GIS) technology are used to achieve these goals. The results indicate that almost 80% of schools and enrolled students in the study area is potentially exposed to worst-case accidents. Compared to elementary school children, a higher proportion of middle school children and a lower proportion of high school students are exposed to multiple releases of hazardous chemicals. A significant and negative association is observed between exposure levels and school enrollment size, which suggests fewer children in regions of highest exposure.