Researchers warn that air pollution, industrial noise and 24/7 artificial light emitted by AI data centers could threaten children’s health and contribute to learning difficulties. Large data centers can house hundreds of diesel-powered generators, which can release nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide and fine particulate matter.
Nearly 1,900 public schools in the U.S. are located within a mile of existing or proposed data centers, prompting concerns among researchers, educators and parents about potential health risks stemming from the artificial intelligence (AI) industry’s rapid expansion.
Research highlighted by the National Education Association identified 1,878 public schools within a mile of data centers, including 602 in California and 101 in Virginia.
The findings come as researchers examine the environmental consequences of a booming AI sector whose electricity demands are expected to increase drastically in the coming years.
A 2024 study conducted by the University of California, Riverside, and California Institute of Technology looked at prospective effects of the industry’s growth. Researchers estimated that air pollution associated with AI infrastructure could contribute to as many as 1,300 premature deaths annually in the U.S. by 2030, with public health costs approaching $20 billion.
The projections account for pollution — including fine particulate matter linked to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases — from electricity generation and diesel backup generators.
“If you look at those sustainability reports by tech companies, they only focus on carbon emissions, and some of them include water as well, but there’s absolutely no mention of unhealthful air pollutants. And these pollutants are already creating a public health burden,” said Shaolei Ren, Ph.D., a UC Riverside engineering professor and study co-author.
Although research directly linking data center proximity to specific illnesses among schoolchildren remains limited, studies examining other sources of industrial pollution have documented significant consequences for children’s health and education.
A 2026 study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that nearly 10,000 U.S. schools, enrolling 3.36 million students, are located within a quarter-mile of known environmental hazard sites. About 44% of schools are within a mile of at least one site.
The study specifically examined Superfund sites, contaminated former industrial properties known as brownfields, and facilities that report toxic chemical releases to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
“The location of schools relative to these hazards has direct implications for children’s development and learning given the well-documented negative health and academic effects of exposure to pollution,” the researchers wrote.
Researchers cautioned that their findings likely underestimate the number of schools potentially exposed to hazardous pollutants because the analysis excluded several pollution sources.
Diesel generators linked to asthma attacks, reduced lung function in kids
A major concern with the spread of AI data centers is their reliance on diesel-powered backup generators, which can release nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide and fine particulate matter.
Large facilities can house hundreds of generators intended to maintain operations during power outages. Their emissions depend on factors including generator capacity, operating hours, fuel use and pollution controls.
The EPA has linked pollution from generators to asthma attacks, reduced lung function and impaired lung development in children.
Kids are particularly vulnerable to air pollution because their lungs and other organs are still developing.
