What's That Smell?

Everyone knows that magic marker "smell" when someone close by is using one. Do you know what that smell contains though? This year, at my son's school, each child in the class was assigned his individual, small whiteboard and dry erase markers for special projects. Well, we noticed some real behavioral issues with our son when he would be exposed to the fumes of these markers. His ears would turn red, and silly or aggressive behaviors would quickly follow.

So, what is that smell? That smell is xylene, which is a benzene derivative. Xylene exposure can cause various neurological problems, especially in children, including dizziness, headaches, memory loss, lung/breathing issues, and even more serious complications involving the liver. It has been known to cause death in high exposures as well. So, the question is WHY are they using these markers in schools? My husband talks about how they much they are used during meetings where he works, and how he gets headaches from them. Can you imagine how a young child might feel? Talk about ADHD!

Some other hazardous chemicals found in permanent and dry erase markers are cresol and toluene. Here is an article about these chemicals, side effects, and the brand names that contain them: http://www.informinc.org/fact_P3indmark.php. Now this is scary!

Our family ended up replacing all the markers in my son's classroom with AusPen markers, much more expensive, but an environmentally friendly choice as they are refillable and one marker lasts the equivalent of 256 regular markers! Traditionally, chalk and chalkboards were used in classrooms. Most chalk was simply calcium carbonate, but the dust it created was thought to potentially trigger respiratory issues in children long term. It is so ironic that schools everywhere have phased out the dusty chalkboards with dry erase markers to improve health and air quality when in reality these markers pose FAR worse health risks for our children.

Here is the link to the AusPen markers. Very nice group of people there as well: http://www.ecosmartworld.com/. Inform other parents, and help your child's school make the switch!