Handbook of Indoor Air Quality: Indoor Air Quality in Schools

This peer-reviewed book chapter provides a comprehensive review of indoor air quality (IAQ) in school environments, focusing on pollutant sources, monitoring data, ventilation performance, and effects on health and learning. The chapter highlights the unique vulnerability of children to indoor air pollution due to their developing lungs, higher breathing rates per body weight, and long hours spent in classrooms. It describes school buildings as high-occupancy, complex environments where airtight construction, synthetic materials, and insufficient ventilation can lead to elevated concentrations of carbon dioxide, particulate matter (PM), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

The authors synthesize data from large-scale monitoring efforts across Europe, the UK, and the US, including projects like SINPHONIE, SEARCH, and AIRMEX. Across these studies, ventilation rates were frequently found to fall below recommended levels—especially in naturally ventilated classrooms—while pollutant levels often exceeded international health-based guidelines. The chapter reviews established associations between IAQ and student health outcomes, such as asthma, respiratory symptoms, and school attendance, as well as growing evidence linking ventilation rates and pollutant exposure to academic performance and cognitive function.

The chapter also compares regulatory limits and standards from various countries and organizations, including ASHRAE, WHO, and UK Building Bulletin 101. It calls for performance-based ventilation strategies, better monitoring protocols, and school designs that prioritize IAQ alongside energy efficiency. This chapter is especially valuable for researchers, architects, building engineers, and education policymakers who seek evidence-backed insight into the challenges and opportunities for improving air quality in educational settings.