Indoor Air Quality Prior to and Following School Building Renovation in a Mid-Atlantic School District

Abstract

Children spend the majority of their time indoors, and a substantial portion of this time in the school environment. Air pollution has been shown to adversely impact lung development and has effects that extend beyond respiratory health. The goal of this study was to evaluate the indoor environment in public schools in the context of an ongoing urban renovation program to investigate the impact of school building renovation and replacement on indoor air quality. Indoor air quality (CO2, PM2.5, CO, and temperature) was assessed for two weeks during fall, winter, and spring seasons in 29 urban public schools between December 2015 and March 2020. Seven schools had pre- and post-renovation data available. Linear mixed models were used to examine changes in air quality outcomes by renovation status in the seven schools with pre- and post-renovation data. Prior to renovation, indoor CO measurements were within World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, and indoor PM2.5 measurements rarely exceeded them. Within the seven schools with pre- and post-renovation data, over 30% of indoor CO2 measurements and over 50% of indoor temperatures exceeded recommended guidelines from the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers. Following renovation, 10% of indoor CO2 measurements and 28% of indoor temperatures fell outside of the recommended ranges. Linear mixed models showed significant improvement in CO2, indoor PM2.5, and CO following school renovation. Even among schools that generally met recommendations on key guidelines, school renovation improved the indoor air quality. Our findings suggest that school renovation may benefit communities of children, particularly those in low-income areas with aging school infrastructure, through improvements in the indoor environment.

Addressing adverse synergies between chemical and biological pollutants at schools—The ‘SynAir‐G’ hypothesis

“…8,[53][54][55] Levels of exposure are amenable to change, as it has been shown for example, following school building renovation. 56 Nevertheless, it is not surprising that the highest levels of chemical pollutant exposure happen in schools located in highly polluted, low socioeconomic background areas. Simple field interventions, such as ventilation schedules and/or using air purifiers, have the capacity of reducing some of the effects, however many rely on changing habits, which is challenging.…”

“…Concentrations of particulate matter and PAHs higher than those required by international guidelines have been found in around 30% of schools 8,53–55 . Levels of exposure are amenable to change, as it has been shown for example, following school building renovation 56 . Nevertheless, it is not surprising that the highest levels of chemical pollutant exposure happen in schools located in highly polluted, low socioeconomic background areas.…”

Ventilation during COVID-19 in a school for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD)

“…Mismatched ventilation can result in elevated indoor CO 2 levels that can affect learning and cognitive performance [ 33 ], areas of key focus in schools for students with an IDD. Unfortunately, many school buildings have outdated HVAC systems, resulting in low or very low ACH [ 6 , 34 , 35 ].…”

Effectiveness of a Protocol to Reduce Children’s Exposure to Particulate Matter and NO2 in Schools during Alert Days

“…While a number of studies have assessed the air quality in schools, only a few have tried to assess the effectiveness of specific interventions. Considering school buildings without heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems—i.e., by far the majority of such buildings in the world—and without considering changes in the structural characteristics of the buildings [ 36 ] and furniture, the possibilities to improve indoor air quality are mainly related to opening windows and doors, and to the possible use of portable air purifiers.…”