Assessing the quality of air in school rooms and developing guidelines for prevention

Administering a questionnaire survey resulted in information on the subjective assessment of the quality of air by pupils and teachers in selected schools and the development of a strategy of testing the quality of air in school buildings. Then the quality of air was tested in school rooms in winter and spring in four school buildings; in each of them in a classroom, the gym and in the staff room. The following were measured and assessed: the parameters of the air, mass concentration of particles up to 10 ?m and number concentration of particles up to 1 ?m, the concentration of bacteria and fungi in bioaerosol fractions of various dimenstions and the efficiency of ventilation systems. The results of the tests of chemical pollution, dusts and air humidity confirmed the results of the questionnaire survey, which showed that the quality of air in school buildings is not good; 85% of responses of pupils and teachers expressed that view. The cause of the sick building syndrome in teachers and pupils primarily lies in incorrect parameters of the air, i.e., the concentration of carbon dioxide exceeding recommended values, high concentration of carbonyl compounds and particle fractions of fine dusts and microbiological aerosol. Incorrectly operating gravity ventilation systems resulted in the criteria in those factors not being met, because that type of ventilation was in principle the only one, except for two gyms and a chemical laboratory. A guidebook on shaping the quality of air in school buildings was developed as were materials for training directors of schools and other education establishments, and for people managing OSH in schools. Also developed were information materials for an internet database - Safety and Health of Work and Study in Schools.