William H. Farquhar Middle School, Olney, MD. Photo credit: Patrick Ross
School Health Research Library
We have curated a library of peer-reviewed scientific studies from around the world published since 2016, focusing on the school built environment and occupant health and performance. This research builds on the 2017 Schools for Health: Foundations for Student Success report released by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health that synthesizes foundational research about school indoor environmental quality impacts on students and staff.
To help translate this research into action in schools, we have compiled School Health Research Highlights to help school staff and leaders access key findings and actionable strategies on priority topics.
Displaying 161 - 170 of 355 | Export entire research library
RISK ASSESSMENT FOR RADON EXPOSURE IN VARIOUS
INDOOR ENVIRONMENTS
Chen, Jing
It was assessed that on average, radon progeny concentrations in Canadian homes are about three times higher than in school buildings, 4.7 times higher than in public buildings and indoor workplaces, and 12 times higher than in outdoor air. Canadian…
Keywords:
Measuring students’ exposure to particulate matter (PM) pollution across microenvironments and seasons using personal air monitors
Ryan, Ian
Children were consistently exposed to higher PM2.5 concentrations in the fall (median: fall = 2.84, spring = 2.31, winter = 0.90 µg/m3). At school, 2.19% of PM2.5 measurements exceeded the EPA annual fine particle standard, 12 µg/m3 (winter = 7.38…
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Exposure to ultrafine particles in children until 18 years of age: A systematic review
García-Hernández, Celia
The characteristics of the microenvironments with the greatest levels of UFP were being close to heavy traffic or near cooking and cleaning activities. This review revealed the wide differences in exposure assessment methodologies that could lead to…
Keywords: Air pollution, Children, Microenvironments, Personal exposure, Systematic review, Ultrafine particles
VENTILATION: WHY does no one take it seriously?
Sundell, Jan
The main problem is that ventilation has been mainly seen as an engineering problem, but in reality, it is a public health topic.
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Determination of optimal ventilation rates in educational environment in terms of radon dosimetry
Dovjak, Mateja
Simulations showed that the highest radon concentrations were observed in case 1 with a DVR of 79.6 m3/h (621 Bq/m3) and case 4 with a DVR of 69.4 m3/h (711 Bq/m3), both defined by national regulations. The calculated values in both cases exceeded…
Keywords: Effective dose, Radon, Ventilation rate, School, Renovation
Indoor microbiome, environmental characteristics and asthma among junior high school students in Johor Bahru, Malaysia
Fu, Xi
In total, 326 bacterial and 255 fungal genera were characterized. Five bacterial (Sphingobium, Rhodomicrobium, Shimwellia, Solirubrobacter, Pleurocapsa) and two fungal (Torulaspora and Leptosphaeriaceae) taxa were protective for asthma severity. Two…
Keywords: Bacteria, Fungi, Microbial communities, Absolute quantity, Wheezing, Breathlessness, Adolescents, Dampness/visible mood, Malaysia, Johor bahru, Tropics, Junior high school
School Environmental Intervention to Reduce Particulate Pollutant Exposures for Children with Asthma
Jhun, Iny
Baseline classroom levels of fine particulate matter (particulate matter with diameter of <2.5 μm [PM2.5]) and black carbon (BC) were 6.3 and 0.41 μg/m3, respectively. When comparing the intervention to the control group, classroom PM2.5 levels…
Keywords: Asthma, Indoor air quality, Environmental intervention
Indoor and outdoor air concentrations of volatile organic compounds and NO2 in schools of urban, industrial and rural areas in Central-Southern Spain
Villanueva, Florentina
. The most abundant pollutants at schools were the aldehydes formaldehyde and hexanal. After carbonyls, n-dodecane was the most abundant compound in the study areas. The NO2 concentrations were higher in the urban area, followed by industrial area…
Keywords: Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), Carbonyl compounds, Nitrogen dioxide (NO2), Indoor air quality, School, Spain
Ultrafine particles and black carbon personal exposures in asthmatic and non-asthmatic children at school age
Pañella, P
Asthmatics and non-asthmatics spent the same amount of time at home (60% and 61%, respectively), at school (20% and 23%), on transportation (8% and 7%), and in other microenvironments (7% and 5%). The highest concentrations of all TRAPs were…
Keywords: Asthma, Black carbon, Children, Microenvironments, Personal monitoring, Ultrafine particles
Impact of School Air Quality on Children's Respiratory Health
Fsadni, Peter
The mean indoor PM 2.5 level of 17.78 μg/m3 and CO (9.11 ppm) exceeded World Health Organization thresholds. Indoor ozone levels exceeded the mean European school's indoor ozone concentration of 8 μg/m3. High exposure to formaldehyde, NO2, and…
Keywords: Asthma, Atopy, Ozone (O3), School