JenniferSpartzAnnotation12IAQ,Vents,andHealthinSchools

Annotation 12 Indoor Air Quality, Ventilation and Health Symptoms in Schools: An Analysis of Existing Information This article was written by J.M. Daisey, W.J. Angell, and M.G. Apte. The first and third are associated with the Indoor Environment Department at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, while the second is with the Indoor Air Quality Project at the University of Minnesota. All three are well educated in indoor air and know how commonly certain compounds occur in indoor environments. This article talks about literature of what was known about indoor air quality (IAQ), ventilation, and health problems in schools before 1999. There is also a study of data collections about ventilation rates, CO2 concentrations, and information on relationships between pollutants and health symptoms. In 1996, there were 88,000 public U.S. schools with 4.6 million students and 2.6 million teachers. It was acknowledged by some that IAQ and ventilation were affecting the health and learning performance of students. There was, however, little information about IAQ in schools. The objective of this study is to identify the most commonly reported building related health issues, assemble, evaluate, and summarize existing data of indoor pollutants, and to summarize the casual relationship between pollutant exposures and health problems. Electronic databases are studied for journals and conferences of science literature before 1999 relating to these topics. From the studies it is clear that ventilation rates are rarely measured, but many lead to health problems. The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) recommends that at least 3 air changes per hour occur in schools, however 3 studies show that many schools are below that rate. CO2 concentrations above 1000 ppm indicate bad ventilation and levels below that do not necessarily mean clean air. In one study 74% of rooms fail to have a concentration lower than this. It becomes harder to compare this result to other studies as tests are conducted by many different methods. “In general, CO2 measurements in schools suggest that significant proportion of classrooms probably do not meet the ASHRAE Standard 62-1999 for minimum ventilation rate, at least part of the time” (Daisey 56 2003). The other commonly measured pollutants are TVOC, formaldehyde, and biological pollutants. There are very few TVOC tests reported in the literature studied. Formaldehyde levels are compared to the potentially cancerous level of 3 µg/m3. Recent studies show that exposure to low levels of formaldehyde can still lead to sensitivity of allergens in kids. Bioaerosol contaminants are from viruses, bacteria, allergens and fungi which are caused by high humidity and water damage. The total airborne bacteria are not studied frequently and even then it is difficult to tell what bacteria are being studied. Dust mites and animal allergens are known to cause asthma and trigger attacks. High concentrations of both are harmful to the development of children. Relationships between pollutants and health are rarely studied. As of 1999, only 2 such studies were noted in Europe. One studied the health of occupants of a building before and after a renovation, and the other discussed reports of sick building syndrome (SBS) and CO2 levels. Overall, the results were inconclusive as not all potential contaminants were studied. It is noted that an increase of CO2 concentrations are not consistent with health problems. Only three studies noted in the article cover more than one pollutant. These had to do with removing carpeting and its effects, asthma related to CO2, air exchange rates, humidity, VOCs, and molds, and asthma related to formaldehyde, VOCs, mold, bacteria, and cat allergen. Overall, it is clear that classrooms are not ventilated properly. While most studies are of adults, kids are at least as, if not more, susceptible to indoor allergens. The most commonly studied indoor pollutants are TVOC, formaldehyde, and biological contaminants. Many schools discourage air sampling as the results are limited and overall Indoor Environmental Quality studies were rare before 1999. Asthma and SBS are the two most common health problems reported in schools. The study of IAQ in schools has been gaining interest by research groups, educators, and the general public. Even though there is little in the way of literature on the subject, it is generally accepted as a polluted area. The authors show their expertise by acknowledging that this is a multi-layer issue and that it needs to be studied as such. This study contributes to our group questions as it discusses what schools are doing in the way of studying possible air contaminants and their relation to health and effects on school work.

Citation: Daisey, JM; Angell, WJ; Apte, MG. “Indoor Air Quality, Ventilation and Health Symptoms in Schools: an Analysis of Existing Information.” Indoor Air, 2003. 13(1): p 53-65.