A new international study has found that hundreds of thousands of schoolchildren in Ghana attend schools located close to documented contaminated sites, raising concerns about children’s exposure to pollution and its potential impact on health and learning.The research, titled Schools in the Shadow of Toxic Sites: Pollution Proximity in Low- and Middle-Income Countries, analysed the location of more than 2.6 million schools across 17 countries and compared them with thousands of documented contaminated sites.For Ghana, the findings show that 1,094 schools — representing 4.8% of all schools mapped — are located within one kilometre of a documented contaminated site, while 5,861 schools, or 26% of the national total, are within five kilometres of such sites. The study estimates that around 400,000 children attend schools within one kilometre of a contaminated site and about two million children study within five kilometres of one.The report identified Ghana as one of several countries where a significant proportion of schools are located close to sites affected by industrial pollution, mining waste, heavy metals and other hazardous contaminants.The researcher found that exposure risks are particularly concentrated in urban areas and capital cities.In Ghana, 67.6% of schools in Greater Accra are located within five kilometres of a documented contaminated site, far above the national average. The study also found that 45.2% of urban schools are within five kilometres of a contaminated site, compared with much lower rates in rural areas of 7%, highlighting a strong urban-rural divide.The report notes that capital cities across developing countries tend to have the highest concentration of schools near polluted sites because industrial activity, economic development and population growth are often concentrated in urban centres.Lead/other heavy metals contamination remains a concernThe study also examined schools located near sites contaminated by lead and other heavy metals, pollutants known to affect children’s brain development and learning ability.In Ghana, 660 schools were found within one kilometre of documented lead-contaminated sites, while 4,770 schools were located within five kilometres. Researchers estimate that approximately 200,000 children attend schools within one kilometre of lead-related contamination and 1.6 million children study within five kilometres of such sites.Lead exposure is widely recognized as a major public health threat, particularly for children, because even low levels can affect cognitive development, behaviour and academic performance.One of the study’s more surprising findings challenges the common assumption that pollution exposure is concentrated mainly in poorer communities.Using neighbourhoods wealth data, researchers found that in Ghana, students attending schools in wealthier areas were more likely to be located near documented contaminated sites than those in poorer areas. The study reported that 71.7% of students in the wealthiest neighbourhoods quintile attended schools within five kilometres of a contaminated site, compared with 3.2% in the poorest quintile.The researchers suggest this pattern reflects the concentration of industry, businesses, schools and economic activity in major urban centres rather than evidence that poorer communities face lower environmental risks overall.Air pollution widespreadBeyond contaminated sites, the report paints a broader picture of environmental challenges facing schools.According to satellite-based estimates analyzed in the study, every mapped school in Ghana exceeded the World Health Organization’s latest annual air quality guideline for fine particulate matter (PM2.5). Nearly all schools also exceeded the WHO’s previous interim target, although only 2% exceeded the higher threshold used by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Ghana’s average PM2.5 concentration across schools was estimated at 26 micrograms per cubic metre, more than five times the WHO guideline.The study says poor air quality is not limited to a few hotspots but represents a widespread environmental challenge across many low- and middle-income countries.Across all countries studied, researchers found that more than 252,000 schools are located within five kilometres of documented contaminated sites, affecting an estimated 42.8 million children. Around 6.9 million children attend schools within one kilometre of a contaminated site.The study states that environmental hazards around schools deserve greater attention from governments and policymakers because children spend a large part of their day in school environments and are particularly vulnerable to pollution exposure.It argues that better monitoring, stronger environmental regulation and improved land-use planning will be needed to reduce risks to pupils across the developing world.