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 491 - 500 of 585 | Export entire research library
Effect of ventilation strategies and air purifiers on the children's exposure to airborne particles and gaseous pollutants in school gyms
Pacitto, A
The study revealed that the use of air purifiers with windows kept closed (natural ventilation) can lead to a significant reduction in terms of indoor-to-outdoor concentration ratios. In the smaller gym (air changes per hour of the purifiers, ACH,…
Keywords: School gym, Air purifier, Particle number concentration, Black carbon, Particulate matter (PM), Indoor air quality
Effectiveness of air-purifying devices and measures to reduce the exposure to bioaerosols in school classrooms
Uhde, Erik
With such a fan and a window tilted at the appropriate distance, an air exchange rate of 5/h can be set at a low power level and without any significant noise pollution. Heat balance calculations show that no additional heat exchanger is necessary…
Keywords:
Characterization and source identification of fine dust in Seoul elementary school classrooms
Heo, Sujeong
The indoor PM2.5 was lower than that of the outdoors as indicated by an I/O ratio of 0.52–0.92 based on mass concentration, and it was maintained below the National Guideline. Heavy metals such as Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Sn and Pb were lower in…
Keywords: School air quality, Particulate matter (PM), Fine particulate matter (PM 2.5), Emission source, Chemical constituent
Performance characteristics of a fan filter unit (FFU) in mitigating particulate matter levels in a naturally ventilated classroom during haze conditions
Tham, Kwok Wai
In this study, it was observed that the average ambient PM10, PM2.5 and PM1 concentrations were 110, 85 and 70 μg m−3 respectively. Acceptable limits during haze episodes may lead to potential health hazards to occupants.43 The majority of…
Keywords:
High School Students as Citizen Scientists to Decrease Radon Exposure
Hahn, Ellen
Of the 18 homeowners who completed surveys, 15 had valid short-term radon test results ranging from < 14.8 Bq/m3 to 277.5 Bq/mq3. Two of the 15 tests were at or above the EPA action level; three tests exceeded the WHO action level of 100 Bq/m3.…
Keywords: Radon, Citizen science, Lung cancer, Cancer prevention, Youth-engaged
The exposure of children to PM 2.5 and dust in indoor and outdoor school classrooms in Kuala Lumpur City Centre
Othman, Murnira
This study showed that the average indoor and outdoor 24 h PM2.5 was 11.2 ± 0.45 µg m−3 and 11.4 ± 0.44 µg m−3 respectively. The 8 h PM2.5 concentration ranged between 3.2 and 28 µg m−3 for indoor and 3.2 and 19 µg m−3 for outdoor classrooms. The…
Keywords: Fine particulate matter (PM 2.5), School environment, Indoor and outdoor dust, Health risk assessment
Predicting environmental risk factors in relation to health outcomes among school children from Romania using random forest model - An analysis of data from the SINPHONIE project
Lin, Ziqiang
About one-third of the participants reported at least one health symptom in the past week. The most common respiratory symptoms reported among Romanian school children were the flu-like symptoms (30.4%), the most frequent being runny nose (20%). The…
Keywords: Children, Exposure, Health outcomes, Logistic regression, Machine learning
Estimation of students' exposure to metal concentrations from river-dust episodes during 1994–2012
Yang, Hao-Jan
Significant relationships (p < 0.01) were found between outdoor PM10 concentrations at Lunbei’s air quality monitoring station and the two elementary schools. The outdoor PM10 concentrations at the monitoring station and the schools’ indoor PM10…
Keywords:
Indoor Culturable Fungal Load and Associated Factors among Public Primary School Classrooms in Gondar City, Northwest Ethiopia, 2018: A Cross-sectional Study
Zewudu, Andualem
The highest and the lowest mean culturable fungal
loads recorded were 1140.29 CFU/m3 and 211.25 CFU/m3,
respectively. Aspergillus, Mucor, Penicillium, Candida,
Microsporum, Trichophyton, Rhizopus, Alternaria and Fusarium
…
Keywords: School indoor air, Culturable fungal load, Settles plate technique, Gondar city
On the seasonal aerosol pollution levels and its sources in some primary schools in Vilnius, Lithuania
Prokopciuk, Nina
The main sources responsible for the elevated levels of indoor PN and PM aerosol concentrations were determined: local canteens in the absence of ventilation (particle concentrations up to 97,500 part/cm3 (CPC)), the school-grader activity during…
Keywords: Primary schools, Indoor/outdoor aerosol, Pollution levels, Systematic sources, Occasional sources, Ventilation