Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) in Educational Institutions: A Review on Risks of Poor IAQ, Sampling Strategies, and Building-Related Health Symptoms (original) (raw)
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Indoor air quality and health in schools
Jornal Brasileiro De Pneumologia, 2014
Objective: To determine whether indoor air quality in schools is associated with the prevalence of allergic and respiratory diseases in children. Methods: We evaluated 1,019 students at 51 elementary schools in the city of Coimbra, Portugal. We applied a questionnaire that included questions regarding the demographic, social, and behavioral characteristics of students, as well as the presence of smoking in the family. We also evaluated the indoor air quality in the schools. Results: In the indoor air of the schools evaluated, we identified mean concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO 2) above the maximum reference value, especially during the fall and winter. The CO 2 concentration was sometimes as high as 1,942 ppm, implying a considerable health risk for the children. The most prevalent symptoms and respiratory diseases identified in the children were sneezing, rales, wheezing, rhinitis, and asthma. Other signs and symptoms, such as poor concentration, cough, headache, and irritation of mucous membranes, were identified. Lack of concentration was associated with CO 2 concentrations above the maximum recommended level in indoor air (p = 0.002). There were no other significant associations. Conclusions: Most of the schools evaluated presented with reasonable air quality and thermal comfort. However, the concentrations of various pollutants, especially CO 2 , suggest the need for corrective interventions, such as reducing air pollutant sources and improving ventilation. There was a statistically significant association between lack of concentration in the children and exposure to high levels of CO 2. The overall low level of pollution in the city of Coimbra might explain the lack of other significant associations.
Indoor environmental quality in school buildings, and the health and wellbeing of students
International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health, 2014
Poor indoor environmental quality (IEQ) in classrooms may be a risk for health symptoms and cause absence from school. We conducted a comprehensive study in order to assess the connection between IEQ in Finnish elementary school buildings and the health and academic performance of sixth grade students. The specific aim of the present paper was to study the school-or grade-level prevalence of symptoms in relation to IEQ. The school-or grade-level (i.e. group level) prevalence of self-reported symptoms and perceived IEQ was studied using data collected by a health questionnaire comprising 37 questions. The health questionnaire was sent to all 6th grade students in a stratified random sample of 355 elementary schools in Finland. Indoor environmental conditions were assessed with measurements of ventilation rate and thermal conditions of classrooms in a subsample of 56 schools. Altogether 297 elementary schools participated in the health questionnaire study and a total of 4248 questionnaires were returned (estimated response rate 62.6%). The most common weekly symptoms in the spring semester were fatigue (7.7%), stuffy nose (7.3%), and headache (5.5%). However, both mean prevalence values for different symptoms among all 6th grade students and group-level prevalence values for specific symptoms varied considerably. On the group level, the prevalence values most frequently found above 95% CI (calculated for N = 15) were wheezing, cough with wheezing, and fever over 37 • C. The most frequently reported IEQ factors causing daily inconvenience in classrooms were noise (11.0%) and stuffy air/poor indoor air quality (IAQ) (7.0%), which were also found most frequently above 95% CI on the group level (calculated for N = 15), together with self-reported high indoor temperature and dust or dirtiness. Self-reported daily stuffiness/poor IAQ was significantly correlated with measured mean temperatures and ventilation rates in classrooms. High prevalence of students' self-reported stuffiness/poor IAQ may indicate high indoor temperature or low ventilation rate in classrooms. Also high group level prevalence of other IEQ factors and certain symptoms may be indicative of IEQ problems that should be further studied. The results of this study can be used as a reference for assessing the questionnaire-based prevalence of self-reported symptoms among 6th graders, and their association with IEQ in classrooms. For such assessment, the number of students responding to the questionnaire must be carefully considered, also bearing in mind that prevalence values are symptom specific.
What do we know about indoor air quality in school classrooms? A critical review of the literature
Intelligent Buildings International, 2012
The increasing interest in indoor environmental quality of educational buildings has been underpinned by the rising incidence of asthma and respiratory disease among children, who spend a substantial amount of their lives on the school premises. The susceptibility of children to respiratory disease compared with adults has led to the formulation of regulatory frameworks for the school environment, which specifies maximum CO 2 concentrations and minimum airflow rates. This article reviews the evidence that school buildings provide a healthy and satisfactory indoor environment for the occupants. It summarized air pollution levels reported from indoor air quality (IAQ) monitoring surveys and evidence linking school exposure with health responses from the occupants. In addition, environmental and behavioural factors affecting pollution levels in school buildings were examined. The analysis has highlighted the degraded IAQ in some schools that often exceed WHO guidelines, while health impacts of school exposure were reported for concentrations below current guidelines.
Causes of Indoor Air Quality Problems in Schools: Summary of Scientific Research
Research show that one in five U.S. schools has indoor air quality (IAQ) problems; 36 percent have inadequate heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems; and there appears to be a correlation between IAQs and the proportion of a school's students coming from low-income households. This report examines the IAQ issue in U.S. public schools and discusses: the IAQ investigations conducted in school facilities; the factors that determine microorganism growth in HVAC systems and production of volatile emissions; humidity control and the impact on IAQ, volatile organic compounds and other chemical compounds that affect IAQ; the control of indoor environments with HVAC systems; and the impact of IAQ on productivity and satisfaction in the learning environment. The research indicates that proper outdoor air ventilation and humidity control are necessary but that too often, in practice, one is obtained at the expense of the other. Additionally, research indicates that IAQ p...
Indoor Air Quality at School: Ventilation Rates and It
The reviews on the subject of school environments emphasized that indoor air quality (IAQ) is often inadequate in classrooms causing increased risk for asthma and other health-related symptoms in preschool environment. It is most pronounced in developed countries. The paper summarizes and explores the peer-reviewed literature on IAQ in schools environment and to explicit the importance of IAQ in school's environment by reviewing the previous studies on exposure of pupils towards poor IAQ in the classrooms. The existing reviewed data emphasizes on impact of Ventilation Rates and CO2, on children's health and performance while performing assessment on existing standards (ASHRAE, NIOSH, ACGIH and OSHA). The study found that, most of the children are exposed to the inadequate environment during their time in the classroom which is not complying with the established standard. Expectantly, this paper is comprehensive to determine the sufficient information and as a reference for further data collection to assess the IAQ in Malaysian's schools.
Environment International, 2020
Reported indoor air quality (IAQ) complaints are common even in relatively new or renovated school buildings in Finland. However, detecting the causes for complaints with commonly used indoor air measurements is difficult. This study presents data on perceived and measured IAQ in six comprehensive school buildings in Finland. The aim of this study was to discover the possible differences of perceived and measured IAQ between schools with reported IAQ complaints and schools without reported IAQ complaints. The initial categorisation of schools with ('problematic schools') and without ('comparison schools') complaints was ensured via a validated indoor climate survey and a recently developed online questionnaire, which were completed by 186 teachers and 1268 students from the six schools. IAQ measurements of physical parameters, gaseous pollutants, particulate matter and bioaerosols were conducted in four problematic school buildings (26 classrooms) and two comparison school buildings (12 classrooms). Using air sampling as well as exhaust air filters and classroom settled dust to detect the presence of elevated concentrations of airborne cultivable microbes and pathogenic, toxigenic and mycoparasitic Trichoderma strains were the most indicative methods in distinguishing problematic schools from comparison schools. Other IAQ-related measurements did not detect clear differences between problematic and comparison schools, as the concentration levels were very low. The results indicate that the complaints reported by occupants could have been related to excess moisture or mould problems that had not been found or repaired. Ventilation pressure condition investigations and simultaneous exhaust and supply air filter dust culture should be addressed precisely in future studies.
Environmental Chemistry Letters, 2014
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