Search

Poor indoor air quality (IAQ) in schools is associated with pupils’ health and their learning performance. This study aims to provide an overview of the outdoor factors that affect the IAQ in educational settings in order to develop public health measures. We conducted a systematic literature review to investigate the outdoor factors that affect IAQ in educational settings. The selection of articles included 17,082 search string hits from the ScienceDirect database published between 2010 and 2023, with 92 relevant studies selected based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Based on a systematic review of the literature, we identified the following outdoor factors: proximity to busy roads, commercial and industrial establishments, meteorological conditions, compounds from the natural environment, emissions from heating buildings, atmospheric reactions and secondary pollutants, unpaved school playgrounds, and smoking. This study provides key information on the mentioned outdoor factors and gives recommendations on measures to reduce classroom pollutant concentrations while highlighting educational settings that require special attention. Our study shows that classroom IAQ is affected by many outdoor pollutant sources, the prevalence of which depends on the educational setting’s micro location. Therefore, it is essential to develop an appropriate classroom ventilation strategy for each educational setting.

Poor indoor air quality (IAQ) in schools is associated with pupils' health and their learning performance. This study aims to provide an overview of the outdoor factors that affect the IAQ in educational settings in order to develop public health measures. We conducted a systematic literature review to investigate the outdoor factors that affect IAQ in educational settings. The selection of articles included 17,082 search string hits from the ScienceDirect database published between 2010 and 2023, with 92 relevant studies selected based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Based on a systematic review of the literature, we identified the following outdoor factors: proximity to busy roads, commercial and industrial establishments, meteorological conditions, compounds from the natural environment, emissions from heating buildings, atmospheric reactions and secondary pollutants, unpaved school playgrounds, and smoking. This study provides key information on the mentioned outdoor factors and gives recommendations on measures to reduce classroom pollutant concentrations while highlighting educational settings that require special attention. Our study shows that classroom IAQ is affected by many outdoor pollutant sources, the prevalence of which depends on the educational setting's micro location. Therefore, it is essential to develop an appropriate classroom ventilation strategy for each educational setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Outdoor air pollution is an important determinant of health. Children are one of the most sensitive population groups due to their yet underdeveloped respiratory system. Methodology for linkage environmental and health data at population level had been initiated by the World Health Organization about twenty years ago. The aim of our study is an overview of methods with which the effects of outdoor air pollution on children's health have been investigated at the population level. Literature overview was made systematically. Health effects of outdoor air pollution at the population level were firstly investigated after 1990. Simultaneously with the most common outdoor air pollutants (NO2, SO2, O3, PM10 and CO) monitoring of health effects was measured. Poisson regression analysis was the most frequently used method of ecological timeseries studies and spatial studies. Exposure misclassification was in this research field the most common limitation of ecological studies. This study supports the need of future research on outdoor air pollution's effects on the at population level from an engineering and public health view. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most children in early childhood spend approximately one third of the day in kindergartens. Therefore, it is essential that their stay in an educational institution is comfortable and without adverse health effects. Statistical data over the last decade show that the amount of enrolled children in kindergartens has increased. The problem of overcrowded kindergartens is usually solved by changing the existing norms for class sizes, or with alternative spaces that do not serve the original purpose. According to EU Directives, kindergartens are among building facilities that have to be renovated. The purpose of the paper was to analyse sanitary-technical and hygienic conditions of the selected playrooms of kindergartens and to define measures. Real-state conditions were evaluated in 35 playrooms of 16 kindergartens in the Central Slovenian region. The main emphasis was on the used materials, their cleaning capability, room acoustics, natural daylight, safety and comfort issues, as well on their possible adverse health effects. The combination of observation, measurements and calculations of reverberation time, and comparison with regulation demands was carried out. In many playrooms sanitary-technical and hygienic conditions did not fulfil regulation demands. Irregularities are mainly related to improper installation of final coverings, to low parapet heights and total opening area of windows, poor hygienic conditions, and selection of materials that may present health risks. Calculated and measured reverberation times deviated from optimal values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]