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 411 - 420 of 585 | Export entire research library
School Environmental Intervention Programs
Permaul, Perdita
Although years of previous research have linked exposures in the urban home environment with significant childhood asthma disease, many of these allergens are also present in inner-city school environments. Therefore, evaluation of the school…
Keywords: Asthma, Environment, Allergy, Pollutants, Inner-city, Home, School, Intervention, Integrated pest management
Ventilation Improvement Strategies Among K-12 Public Schools - The National School COVID-19 Prevention Study, United States, February 14-March 27, 2022
Pampati, Sanjana
The most frequently reported ventilation improvement strategies were lower-cost strategies,
including relocating activities outdoors (73.6%), inspecting and validating existing heating, ventilation and air condition ing (HVAC) systems (70.5…
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Passive PM2.5 control plan of educational buildings by using airtight improvement technologies in South Korea
Yang, Sungwoong
As a result of the experiment, it was analyzed that air leakage was reduced by up to 37% and fine dust by 22%.
Keywords: Particulate matter (PM), School, Educational buildings, Air-tightness, Infiltration, Particulate matter (PM)
Indoor/Outdoor Relationships and Anthropogenic Elemental Signatures in Airborne PM2.5 at a High School: Impacts of Petroleum Refining Emissions on Lanthanoid Enrichment
Bozlaker, Ayse
Average indoor-to-outdoor (I/O) abundance ratios for the majority of elements were close to unity providing evidence that indoor metal-bearing PM2.5 had predominantly outdoor origins. Only Co had an I/O abundance ratio >1 but its indoor sources…
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Reopening higher education buildings in post-epidemic COVID-19 scenario: monitoring and assessment of indoor environmental quality after implementing ventilation protocols in Spain and Portugal
de le Hoz-Torres, María L
Results showed that although renewal air protocols were effective and the mean CO2 concentration levels remained low (742 ppm and 519 ppm in Portugal and Spain universities, respectively), students were dissatisfied with the current indoor…
Keywords: Building management, Built environment, Indoor environmental quality, New-normal scenario, Sensor monitoring
Indoor fungal diversity in primary schools may differently influence allergic sensitization and asthma in children
Rufo, João Cavaleiro
Classrooms with increased diversity scores showed a significantly lower prevalence of children with atopic sensitization, but not asthma. The risk of sensitization increased with increasing endotoxin exposure in classrooms. Similarly, significantly…
Keywords: Endotoxins, Exposure, Fungi, Indoor air, Microbiologic diversity, microbiome, School, Sensitization
Risk Assessment and Implications of Schoolchildren Exposure to Classroom Heavy Metals Particles in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Alghamdi, Mansour A
. Heavy metals levels in CACF particles of schools were in the following order: urban schools > suburban schools > residential schools. Fe, Mn and Zn were the dominant species. Geo-accumulation index (Igeo), contamination factor (CF) and…
Keywords: Classrooms air conditioner filter particles, Heavy metals, Contamination level, Indoor air quality, Health, Risk
Assessment of ultrafine particles in primary schools: Emphasis on different indoor microenvironments
Slezakova
Overall, UFP concentrations showed large temporal and spatial variations. For classrooms (n = 73), median UFP (1.56 × 103–16.8 × 103 # cm−3) were lower than the corresponding levels in ambient air of schools (1.79 × 103–24.1 × 103 # cm−3). Outdoor…
Keywords: Ultrafine particles, Indoor air quality, Children, Microenvironments, Outdoor air, Inhalation dose
Obesity May Enhance the Adverse Effects of NO2 Exposure in Urban Schools on Asthma Symptoms in Children
Permaul, Perdita
A total of 271 predominantly black (35%) or Hispanic students (35%) were included in analyses. Fifty percent were normal weight (5-84th BMI percentile), 15% overweight (≥85-94th BMI percentile), and 35% obese (≥95th BMI percentile). For each 10-…
Keywords: Asthma, Obesity, Body mass index (BMI), Inner-city, Urban, School, Nitrogen dioxide (NO2), Nitrogen dioxide (NO2), Children, Environment, Exposure, Indoor, Pollutants, Air
Association between fungal spore exposure in inner-city schools and asthma morbidity
Baxi, Sachin
Fungal spores were present in all classroom samples. The geometric mean of the total fungi was 316.9 spores/m3 and ranged from 15.0 to 59,345.7 spores/m3. There was variability in total fungus quantity between schools and classrooms within the same…
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