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Tests of the air outside Highlands High School have found levels of another substance that could increase cancer risk, according to a report by USA Today.

But the risk from carbon tetrachloride is no greater there than it would be in any other area of the county, said Allegheny County Health Department spokesman Guillermo Cole.

"It's just something you're going to find at some level in major metropolitan areas," he said.

Highlands High School was one of 70 schools in 30 states where carbon tetrachloride was detected in the air. Levels there could cause four to nine additional cancers per 1 million people based on a lifetime of exposure, according to the report.

Midland Elementary/Middle School in Midland, Wayne Middle School in Erie and Stony Brook Elementary in York, were the Pennsylvania schools in the other category where levels could cause 10 to 70 additional cancers per 1 million people.

The substance, sometimes called "carbon tet," was widely used as a dry-cleaning solvent, pesticide, refrigerant and as a fire extinguisher. Stamp collectors used it to reveal watermarks on the backs of postage stamps.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency classified carbon tet as a probable human carcinogen. It is known to damage the liver, kidneys and brain.

Its use declined from the 1960s to 1980s, and it was among chemicals that were banned or restricted for damaging the planet's protective ozone layer.

The substance degrades slowly.

USA Today said there were no obvious industrial sources to explain the readings.

The USA Today report was part of the newspaper's "Smokestack Effect" series, which found poor air quality outside of the high school and others around the country. An air monitor was placed on the school's roof in December and testing continues for concentrations of chromium VI, which also is known to cause cancer.

Preliminary tests of the air inside and outside the high school found levels of chromium high enough to be a health risk.

Chromium is used in the production of stainless steel, the main product of Allegheny Ludlum's nearby Brackenridge Works.

Highlands spokeswoman Misty Chybrzynski provided a prepared statement from Acting Superintendent Louis Baldassare:

"Highlands School District will continue to work with the Allegheny County Health Department in allowing it to use the high school as an air quality monitoring site. The district also will resume normal practices and maintenance of air filtration systems to ensure the air in the school remains safe for our staff and students.

"Environmental issues exposed in the USA Today Smoke Stack Effect series affect everyone in the community. We hope the municipalities, industrial companies and residents can work together on improving the environment for the district's overall well being."

Cole said testing for toxic chemicals, including carbon tet, conducted a couple of years ago found levels here comparable to other major metropolitan areas.

He said the department doesn't believe the findings are cause for concern.

"The risk here is not significantly different than it is anywhere else in the United States," he said.

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