11 Data Centers Ring a Loudoun County Elementary School

An NBC News segment in its "Data Center Divide" series asks a question that sounds simple: what happens to children when an elementary school ends up in the middle of the internet's infrastructure? In the clip, a woman speaks with a reporter, the on-screen text reads "Health concerns for school in middle of 11 data centers," and she looks worried.

The school is in Loudoun County, Virginia. NBC News correspondent Stephanie Gosk investigated how 11 data centers ended up within half a mile of an elementary school in northern Virginia, and what their backup generators could be doing to the air. Loudoun, a suburb of Washington, D.C., proudly says it has the highest concentration of data centers in the world, and two more are being built near the school.

The concern centers on diesel generators. Data centers keep them on site to guarantee power, and the report says the number and size of those being installed are producing enough air pollution to raise questions about health effects on students. Environmental experts quoted in the segment fear the air near the school may not be safe for the children there.

The worry isn't limited to Virginia. Researchers have linked pollution from large data centers to nitrogen dioxide and fine particulate matter, which can penetrate deep into the lungs. One analysis found that a single data center could pose health risks to people living at least 0.6 miles away, sometimes farther, and that risks grow when a home sits near several. Pediatrician Debra Hendrickson told Education Week that children's still-developing organs make them especially vulnerable, and that those growing up near such facilities can have smaller, stiffer lungs.

Noise and light add to the list, and some residents compare a data center's constant hum to a dishwasher running in the background. Education Week found that nearly 1,900 U.S. public schools sit within a mile of a data center, so Loudoun's case may be extreme but is hardly alone.

The other side is that data centers are necessary for the digital services that people depend on, and the long-term health effects of hyperscale facilities are still being studied. Advocates say a public health assessment before a data center is built could help communities weigh both sides. For parents near this school, that study may come after the buildings do.