Indoor air quality, ventilation and health symptoms in schools

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1: Indoor Air. 2003 Mar;13(1):53-64. Related Articles, Links

Indoor air quality, ventilation and health symptoms in schools: an

analysis of existing information.

Daisey JM, Angell WJ, Apte MG.

Indoor Environment Department, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.

We reviewed the literature on Indoor Air Quality (IAQ), ventilation,

and building-related health problems in schools and identified

commonly reported building-related health symptoms involving schools

until 1999. We collected existing data on ventilation rates, carbon

dioxide (CO2) concentrations and symptom-relevant indoor air

contaminants, and evaluated information on causal relationships

between pollutant exposures and health symptoms. Reported

ventilation and CO2 data strongly indicate that ventilation is

inadequate in many classrooms, possibly leading to health symptoms.

Adequate ventilation should be a major focus of design or

remediation efforts. Total volatile organic compounds, formaldehyde

(HCHO) and microbiological contaminants are reported. Low HCHO

concentrations were unlikely to cause acute irritant symptoms (<0.05

ppm), but possibly increased risks for allergen sensitivities,

chronic irritation, and cancer. Reported microbiological

contaminants included allergens in deposited dust, fungi, and

bacteria. Levels of specific allergens were sufficient to cause

symptoms in allergic occupants. Measurements of airborne bacteria

and airborne and surface fungal spores were reported in schoolrooms.

Asthma and 'sick building syndrome' symptoms are commonly reported.

The few studies investigating causal relationships between health

symptoms and exposures to specific pollutants suggest that such

symptoms in schools are related to exposures to volatile organic

compounds (VOCs), molds and microbial VOCs, and allergens.

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