Indoor Air Quality and Health in Schools: A Critical Review for Developing the Roadmap for the Future School Environment

This peer-reviewed article presents a comprehensive literature review of 304 studies published between 1970 and 2022 that examine indoor air quality (IAQ) in school environments and its impact on student health and academic performance. The authors identify common pollutants in schools, including carbon dioxide, particulate matter, volatile organic compounds, bioaerosols, and allergens, and note that measured concentrations often exceed recommended standards. The paper summarizes evidence linking poor IAQ in schools to increased respiratory symptoms, asthma, infectious disease transmission, and reduced cognitive function in children.
The review highlights that most school buildings fail to meet ventilation guidelines and that children may experience higher exposure to indoor pollutants in schools than in homes. It also identifies disparities in IAQ across different schools and regions. The authors emphasize that ventilation is the most commonly studied and most significant factor affecting IAQ in classrooms. They discuss intervention strategies such as increasing outdoor air ventilation rates, improving filtration, using portable air cleaners, and enhancing system maintenance.
The article calls for the development of a global roadmap to improve IAQ in schools and proposes integrating health-based design principles into school facility planning. The findings provide strong scientific support for school officials, designers, and policymakers to prioritize IAQ as a public health and educational performance issue. This resource is best suited for technical professionals, researchers, and state and district-level decision-makers interested in evidence-based justification for improving IAQ in PreK–12 environments.