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 51 - 60 of 355 | Export entire research library
Effect of portable HEPA filters on COVID-19 period prevalence: an observational quasi-interventional study in German kindergartens
Falkenberg, Timo
The mean COVID-19 period prevalence rates of the control and intervention groups were 186 (95% CI: 137.8 to 238.9) and 372 (95% CI: 226.6 to 517.6) per 1000 children, respectively. The one-sided Wilcoxon rank-sum test indicates a p value of 0.989;…
Keywords: COVID-19, community child health, primary prevention, public health.
SARS-CoV-2 transmission with and without mask wearing or air cleaners in schools in Switzerland: A modeling study of epidemiological, environmental, and molecular data
Banholzer, Nicolas
Molecular analysis of saliva (21/262 positive) and airborne samples (10/130) detected SARS-CoV-2 throughout the study (weekly average viral concentration 0.6 copies/L) and occasionally other respiratory viruses. Overall daily average CO2 levels were…
Keywords:
Assessment of personal deposited dose and particle size distribution of bacterial aerosol in kindergarten located in southern Poland
Br?goszewska, Eva
The highest average concentration of bacterial aerosol was observed during autumn (1698 +/- 663 CFU/m3) in comparison to winter months (723 +/- 134 CFU/m3). Respirable doses for children and staff were 2945 and 2441 CFU/day during winter and 5988…
Keywords: Bacterial aerosol, Bioaerosol, Exposure dose, Kindergarten, Microbiological indoor air quality, Size distribution
Vertical stratification and seasonality of fecal indicator bacteria in New York City playground sandboxes
Leri, Alessandra C.
A longitudinal study of thirteen sandboxes located in public playgrounds on the east side of Manhattan reveals ubiquity of the fecal indicator bacteria enterococci and Escherichia coli through all seasons. The highest concentrations of bacteria…
Keywords: Fecal indicator bacteria, Urban environmental health, Children's environmental health, Sandbox, Sand, Microcosm, Microbial source tracking, Enterococci, Escherichia coli
Bangkok school indoor air quality: monitoring and intervention by positive pressure fresh air system
Ongwandee, Maneerat
The indoor-to-outdoor concentration ratios indicated that either outdoor sources or indoor + outdoor sources were the predominant contributors to PM in naturally ventilated classrooms. Meanwhile, PM levels in air-conditioned classrooms strongly…
Keywords: School indoor air quality, Positive pressure fresh air system, PM 2.5, Indoor environmental quality, Ventilation
Environment and the development of severe asthma in inner city population
Lee, Julia X.
Many urban environmental exposures contribute to asthma burden, including tobacco/e-cigerette smoke, pest allergens, molds, and possibly synthetic chemicals such as phthalates and bisphenol A, radon, and volatile organic compounds. Individuals…
Keywords: Asthma, inner city population, School, Environmental health, environmental allergy
Association among polydisperse aerodynamic size of bioaerosols, biodiversity and urbanization in kindergartens
Lin, Tsu-Hsien
The results revealed that 1425 colonies of the sampled airborne bacteria contained 63 species in 29 genera, and overall, 63.0% were HABs. The most abundant phylum was Actinobacteria (56.6 +/- 22.2%) and Firmicutes (31.6 +/- 22.3%), and from the…
Keywords: Bioaerosol, Biodiversity, Human-associated bacteria, Kindergarten, Size distribution
Evaluation of the Relationship between Fractional Exhaled Nitric Oxide (FeNO) with Indoor PM10, PM2.5 and NO2 in Suburban and Urban Schools
Isa, Khairul Nizam Mohd
We found that the median of FeNO in the school children from urban areas (22.0 ppb, IQR = 32.0) were slightly higher as compared to the suburban group (19.5 ppb, IQR = 24.0). After adjustment of potential confounders, the two-level hierarchical…
Keywords: Feno, School children, Urban, suburban, indoor pollutants
Update on indoor allergens and their impact on pediatric asthma
Maciag, Michelle C.
Links between indoor aeroallergen exposures and health outcomes have been well established. However, only some allergen reduction interventions have been successful in improving health outcomes. There are many complicating factors involved in…
Keywords:
Influence of point-of-use filters and stagnation on water quality at a preschool and under laboratory conditions
Clark, Gemma G.
These results suggest that the installation of POU filters be considered as one component of an overall strategy to decrease Pb concentrations in school drinking water that holistically considers the premise plumbing system. A 5-minute flush…
Keywords: Point-of-use filter, Drinking water, Bacteria, Chlorine, Lead