BIDDEFORD — More should be done to determine whether the indoor air quality at Biddeford High School is causing some students to become sick while at school, according to an industrial hygienist who was hired by several high school students.

The hygienist joined students and several parents in voicing concerns about what was, and what wasn’t, being done to address the issue, at a public forum at City Hall Wednesday night.

On Tuesday, John Boilard with Northeast Test Consultants of Westbrook made a number of recommendations to the School Committee about what could be done at the high school to determine whether indoor air quality is causing some students to feel sick at school.

Some of the recommendations included: Conduct a detailed visual examination of the building; look closely at specific areas in the building, such as lockers, classrooms near bathrooms, “weak” areas of the building (like corners) and classrooms where many complaints stem from; use caution with choice and use of cleaning products; and provide and keep indoor air quality complaint forms to see if patterns emerge.

Boilard was hired to review test results reported by Air Quality Management of Gray, the firm hired by the School Department to conduct testing at the high school.

Boilard’s company did not conduct its own testing nor, he said, did he necessarily recommend additional testing.

From the results he reviewed, he said, he didn’t believe mold, which was the original suspect for student sickness, was the problem.

What is concerning, he said, was the elevated level of fine particulate matter (less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter) that showed up in the test results, in certain areas of the school.

This could be a cause of some of the students’ symptoms, he said.

Another concern, he said, is that volatile organic compounds could be forming in the school, due in part to cleaning supplies.

Containment of construction dust caused by a renovation of the high school, said Boilard, is very important. Despite measures put into place by Ledgewood Construction, the company conducting the renovation, construction dust could still be entering the school building and could be the cause of some of the student complaints, he said.

He further recommended: Being vigilant over the next two years while construction is taking place to control the containment of construction dust, noise and vibrations; evaluate indoor air quality issues beyond the current base level testing; investigate further specific problematic classrooms; and not exceeding levels of specific materials like particulates and volatile organic compounds and carbon monoxide.

Boilard’s review stems from parents and students who say they feel the school administration isn’t doing enough to determine potential causes of student sickness at the school, or to accommodate those who have become sick.

Josh Hauck, a sophomore at BHS, said since the beginning of the school year he was getting frequent headaches and nosebleeds. He also complained he heard construction noise during classes.

The school administration isn’t doing enough to accommodate students, said Marina Gagne, a junior at BHS. She was the student who was first reported to be sick and had been rushed to the hospital for breathing problems at school several times last year. She said because she was out of school for an extended period, her grades are suffering.

“They haven’t done the proper testing and they don’t want to,” said Laurie Hale about school administrators. Hale, who is Gagne’s mother, said officials don’t want the public to know certain things.

The issue has been a “rude awakening,” said Mary-Ann Noyes, who has been one of the most vocal parents critical of the School Department’s handling of the issue. She said she’s found the issue to be “political” and “dirty.”

“If they were actively doing something” to find out if there’s a problem and what to do to fix it, Noyes said she would be satisfied.

“I agree we should look at this seriously for all students,” said School Committee member Anthony Michaud. “With the rise in visits to the nurse’s office, we should be concerned.”

Closing down areas of the school where construction is taking place should be considered, said School Committee member Nathan Mills.

The “main issue,” said City Councilor Jim Emerson, was accomodating students who are sick so they can get both an education and social experience of high school.

If the school administration had got ahead of the issue, he said, it might have been settled by now.

Mayor Joanne Twomey said she and school administrators are trying to find and correct the problems.

“No one came into this wanting to hurt students,” she said.

According to Superintendent of Schools Sarah-Jane Poli, many of Boilard’s recommendations were similar to what a new testing firm, The HL Turner Group, Inc. will be doing when it visits the high school next week. The Turner Group is based in Concord, N.H. with a branch office in Harrison.

Some parents had expressed a lack of confidence with Air Quality Management and the School Committee ordered that a new testing firm be hired.

 According to Principal Britton Wolfe, 806 students have reported to the nurse’s office from Sept. 7 to Jan. 7, compared to between 300 and 400 students in the entire previous year.

Based on student symptoms, BHS nurse Peggy Blood said she felt at least some of those cases were related to air quality. However, she said, it was difficult to determine how many.

— Staff Writer Dina Mendros can be contacted at 282-1535, Ext. 324 or dmendros@journaltribune.com.