Investigation of air pollutants in rural nursery school – a case study

Abstract

Abstract. Children's exposure to air pollutants is an important public health challenge. Indoor air quality (IAQ) in nursery school is believed to be different from elementary school. Moreover, younger children are more vulnerable to air pollution than higher grade children because they spend more time indoors, and their immune systems and bodies are less mature. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the indoor air quality (IAQ) at naturally ventilated rural nursery schools located in Upper Silesia, Poland. We investigated the concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), particulate matter (PM), bacterial and fungal bioaerosols, as well as carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations in younger and older children's classrooms during the winter and spring seasons. The concentration of the investigated pollutants in indoor environments was higher than those in outdoor air. The results indicate the problem of elevated concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 inside the examined classrooms, as well as that of high levels of CO2 exceeding 1,000 ppm in relation to outdoor air. The characteristics of PM and CO2 levels were significantly different, both in terms of classroom occupation (younger or older children) and of season (winter or spring).

Assessment of Bacterial Aerosol in a Preschool, Primary School and High School in Poland

“…Moreover, poor humidification tends to favor the proliferation of respirable pathogens and reduces the protection of the respiratory system [30,31]. Low RH was reported in our previous studies [32,33] and is common in other countries [18,19].…”

Keeping Doors Closed as One Reason for Fatigue in Teenagers—A Case Study

“…IEQ evaluation based on CO 2 concentration and possible effects on occupants comfort has been examined [11,[22][23][24][25][26][27]. Polish research on CO 2 levels and possible occupant fatigue includes a few publications [9,[28][29][30][31]; however, no research regarding IEQ in the bedrooms of Polish children and teenagers have been performed. Such studies can help to better define how behavioral patterns influence the possible exposure levels of air pollutants and occupant fatigue.…”

Determination on Carbon Dioxide Levels in School Buildings: the Effect of Thermal Efficiency Improvement

“…Furthermore, in the school without thermal modernization, mean CO 2 concentrations ranged from 936 ±196 to 1,878 ±567 ppm. For comparison, mean concentration of CO 2 in the old kindergarten building after thermal modernization was in the spring season 1,375 ±826 and 1,091 ±631 ppm, for older and younger children, respectively [14]. The ratio of mean indoor and outdoor carbon dioxide concentrations in the WTM (I/O) reached values from 1.8 to 3.0, whereas in NTM, this value ranged from 1.1 to 2.2.…”