This is the version of the 8 to 3 newsletter on December 13, 2021 on schools, children and parenting. For example, what are you reading? Sign up to send it to your inbox every Monday.

I hate smog. I really hate smog. I spent most of the summer in Los Angeles, obsessed with monitoring air quality apps, waiting for November. At that time, if there are no wildfires, I can go hiking without an inhaler. I can see the winding gullies that mark the San Gabriel Mountains from the bedroom window.

This year, despite the mild fire season in Southern California, the blue sky of late autumn has been replaced by brown mist. As a person with asthma, for many days I had to weigh running—an exercise that helps me maintain my emotional and mental health—whether it’s worth the risk when I know it might trigger an attack. This reminds me of childhood things: breaks, sports, skateboarding, cycling-all these activities are important to the happiness of children, especially after being trapped in it for a year.

Experts say that long-term exposure to air pollution is harmful to everyone, especially children, whose lungs continue to develop, their immune systems are immature, and they are more sensitive to pollutants. They also tend to spend more time outside than adults and breathe faster.

The dangers of parenting in a pandemic

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I talked with several air quality and pediatric lung health experts on how parents can reduce their children’s exposure to air pollution throughout the year.

So what is the air?

Ozone pollution accounts for most of the smog we see in summer. Although colder months usually give us a respite from dirty air, winters are also more susceptible to particulate pollution.

The particles called PM 2.5 are very small and can penetrate deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream, which is particularly troublesome. These particles can cause inflammation and weaken the body's ability to fight infection. They can irritate the eyes, nose and throat. They can also cause strokes, asthma attacks, and heart attacks, and are the cause of premature death worldwide.

According to air quality data, in November, the South Coast Basin including Orange County, Los Angeles County, Riverside County, and San Bernardino County recorded 9 days when the daily average PM 2.5 exceeded the national 24-hour health standard. Before it rained, the entire first week of December was in an unhealthy range.

Air Quality Management District spokesperson Kim White told The Times: "This winter, we have experienced more days of high and fine particulate matter than usual."

In the past few years, the unhealthy air of similar periods in Southern California was the result of large-scale heat waves and wildfires in the area. But so far, Southern California has not suffered the devastating fires of recent years.

"In the past three years, in addition to wildfires, we have also seen relatively clean air data," Adrian Martinez, a senior attorney for the environmental non-profit organization Earth Justice, told me. "The uncomfortable thing about pollution this season is that we can't point out any single source."

Meteorologists say that the strong ocean layer, also called temperature inversion, is part of the cause of bad air. But Edward Alvor, a professor of environmental health and preventive medicine at the University of Southern California, said that as companies such as Amazon are scrambling to meet soaring consumer demand, it is also possible to ship goods in and out of the area by ships, trains and planes. Is a contributor.

My colleague Nathan Solis reported that in December 2020, the emissions of anchored ships at the Long Beach and Los Angeles dual ports jumped from only 1% of the total emissions of ships to 42% of the total emissions.

What does this do for the children?

Although each child's sensitivity, health status, and genetics are different, those who are repeatedly and severely exposed to air pollution are more likely to develop asthma and other adverse health effects.

"Generally speaking, the more PM 2.5 you are exposed to, the shorter your life span and quality of life. It will change your immune system," said Mary Pluniki, an air pollution expert at the Center for Allergy and Asthma Research at Stanford University. "We know in particular that when PM 2.5 comes from wildfires, exposure will lead to an increase in the number of children visiting the emergency room and hospitalization due to worsening asthma, pneumonia, and acute bronchitis."

Children who live near highways, oil refineries, and power plants are particularly vulnerable, and their proportions of blacks and Latinos are disproportionately high. People of color face more pollution from almost all sources, including industry, agriculture, vehicles, and buildings. Exposure to higher levels of smoke is associated with a greater risk of death from COVID-19. Studies even show that there is a link between air quality and children's academic performance.

How do we protect children?

If it is smoggy outside, children will not adjust their behavior, so we must make wise choices for them.

If you haven't already, you should start monitoring the Air Quality Index (AQI) in your area. The experts I interviewed recommended the EPA's AirNow app and PurpleAir, which has real-time air quality measurement graphs from more than 20,000 sensors installed in people's homes.

If the AQI is higher than 100 (orange area), parents should consider restricting their children's vigorous outdoor exercises. Once it reaches the "unhealthy" range (red), it may be completely discouraged. However, if your child has asthma, you may want to do this even if the AQI is between 50 and 100 (yellow).

"Even if the guide says it's good," Pluniki suggested, "If your child has a cough or has any breathing problems, be sure to ignore this and follow what you think is good for your child."

If possible, please tell your children not to run around busy roads, says Sylvia Betancourt, program manager of the Long Beach Asthma Children's Alliance. This is especially true for children with asthma.

Sally Davidson Ward, director of the Department of Pulmonology and Sleep Medicine, said that when the air is not completely dangerous, you can encourage your children to have air quality in the morning (or after sunset, for older children) It would be better to play outdoors at the Los Angeles Children's Hospital.

Ward said: "Due to the pandemic, we now know that keeping otherwise healthy children indoors has its own risks." "When we lived in Southern California, it was difficult, where there were so many days affected by air pollution. ."

Prunicki said that N95 masks can filter out most particles, but they won't work well without a tight seal-so they are not a realistic choice for children.

Indoor air quality is also very important. If you open or crack windows on a day when the AQI is high, or your house is old and ventilated, the air in your home may be as bad as the air outside. Invest in an air purifier-or a few! -If you can.

American surgeon Vivek H. Murthy issued a public health consultation on the mental health challenges faced by children and adolescents. This is a rare warning and call to action in response to a new crisis that has become worse due to the pandemic. Murthy's recommendations show that symptoms of depression and anxiety have doubled during the pandemic-shockingly, 25% of young people have symptoms of depression and 20% have symptoms of anxiety. My colleague Howard Blume reports that negative emotions or behaviors such as impulsivity and irritability are also becoming more common in children.

K-12 educators report an increase in school threats, fights, and misconduct — they blame COVID-19. The Times education reporter Melissa Gomez (Melissa Gomez) interviewed teachers and school administrators. They said that students behave more and more aggressively in class. For example, after the Michigan school shooting on November 30, a 15-year-old student was charged with murder, and more than a dozen school districts in California cancelled classes on the grounds of potential threats posted online. "Young people don't know how to respond when they are frustrated and angry," said Tyron Howard, a professor of education at the University of California, Los Angeles.

The Los Angeles Unified School District has appointed a new superintendent. Alberto Carvalho, who has been leading the Miami-Dade County Public Schools since 2008, is one of the most experienced and respected school district leaders in the United States. He will serve as the most notable public education field. , One of the most challenging positions. The 57-year-old Carvalho will jump into a school system in which many students have been struggling to achieve their goals for a long time and are further hit by the pandemic academically and emotionally.

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The shortage of substitute teachers in the Bay Area is hurting students. Once they realize that no one will show up to teach them, they will walk out of the classroom and wander in the lobby. KQED

How does the school detect potentially violent students? Many academics and school officials say that the difficult decision of whether to expel students who exhibit disturbing behavior should be made by a multidisciplinary team that includes administrators, school police, and mental health experts. Washington post

School districts across the country chose to close on Friday — at least temporarily — because they are struggling to cope with the increase in coronavirus cases and teacher burnout. Some public schools are remote on Friday, while others cancel classes altogether. New York Times

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Laura Newbury is a subway reporter for the Los Angeles Times.

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