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 311 - 320 of 355 | Export entire research library
Associations between indoor environmental quality in schools and symptom reporting in pupil-administered questionnaires
Savelieva, Kateryna
Several of the IEQ indicators were highly correlated and indicators were therefore mainly analyzed by combining them into a summary score and into latent classes. Dose-response associations were found between IEQ problems and higher reporting of…
Keywords: Indoor environmental quality, Symptom reporting, Respiratory symptoms, School, Questionnaire, Child health
Quantifying indoor air quality determinants in urban and rural nursery and primary schools
Branco, M.C.M
Children faced thermal discomfort and inadequate humidity, respectively in 60.1% and 44.1% of the studied classrooms. They were also exposed to high levels of IAP, namely PM 2.5 and CO2 respectively in 69.0% and 41.3% of the studied classrooms,…
Keywords: Children, Nursery and Primary schools, Exposure, Indoor air quality
Children environmental exposure to particulate matter and polycyclicaromatic hydrocarbons and biomonitoring in school environments: A review on indoor and outdoor exposure levels, major sources and health impacts
Oliveira, Marta
A total of 28, 35, and 31% of the studies reported levels that exceeded the international outdoor ambient air guidelines for PM10, PM2.5, and benzo(a)pyrene, respectively. Indoor and outdoor concentrations of PM10 at European schools, the most…
Keywords: Biomarkers, Children exposure, Health effects, Particulate matter (PM), Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHS)
Building and Indoor Environmental Quality Assessment of Nigerian Primary Schools: A Pilot Study
Toyinbo
Based on the data, the quality of facilities in the buildings was low. Classroom occupancy exceeded ASRHAE 50 person/100m^2 standard in all cases indicating overcrowding. However, concentrations of C)2 remained below 1000 ppm in most classrooms. On…
Keywords: Indoor environmental quality, Thermal acceptability, Natural ventilation, Cleaning, School classrooms, Educational buildings
Air quality around schools: Part I - Air quality around schools: Part I - A comprehensive literature review across high-income countries comprehensive literature review across high-income countries
Osborne
Many of the included studies focused on nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and particulate matter (PM) both in the coarse and fine fraction, around schools across a range of countries. . Some studies also observed ozone (O3) and volatile organic chemicals (…
Keywords: Outdoor air pollution, School, Children, Exposure, Commuting
The effect of natural ventilation strategy on indoor air quality in schools
Stabile
Results revealed that the airing strategy differently affect several pollutants detected indoors depending on their size, origin and dynamics. Longer airing periods may result in reduced indoor CO2 concentrations and, similarly, other gaseous indoor…
Keywords: School, Exposure, Particles, Airing strategy, Carbon dioxide (CO2), Ultrafine particles, Ventilation
Assessing indoor air quality of school environments: transplanted lichen Pseudovernia furfuracea as a new tool for biomonitoring and bioaccumulation
Protano
The results demonstrated that transplanted lichen P. furfuracea is a suitable biomonitoring tool for metals and PAHs in indoor settings and can discriminate between different levels of air pollution related to urbanization and indoor conditions,…
Keywords: Indoor air quality, School, Heavy metals, Persistent organic pollutants, Biomonitoring, Lichen
Indoor environmental quality in naturally ventilated schools ofa dusty region: Excess health risks and effect of heating and desert dust transport
Sahin
The median CO2 concentration was measured to be >1000 ppm in all seasons/schools. Temperature and RH fell out of the comfort zone in October-December, during which pollutant concentrations were considerably increased, specifically in November,…
Keywords: Dust transport, Excess risk, Indoor air quality, Indoor environmental quality, Particulate matter (PM), Primary schools
Indoor exposure levels of ammonia in residences, schools, and offices in China from 1980 to 2019: A systematic review
Sun, Chanjuan
The results illustrated that the median concentration of indoor air
ammonia in residences, offices, and school buildings was 0.21
mg/m3, 0.26mg/m3, and 0.15mg/m3. There were 46.4%, 71.4%, and 40% of these samples exceeding the NH3…
Keywords:
Indoor air quality in the primary school of China—results from CIEHS 2018 study
Zhu
We observed that there were 66.5%, 52.6%, 22.4%, 1.8% and 9.6% of the classrooms that exceeded the guideline values of PM2.5, PM10, CO2, HCHO, and bacteria, respectively.
Keywords: Indoor air quality, Multi-center, Exposure, School, China