My name is Karen Benson and I've been interested in and involved in green building since the early 80's. I'm excited about helping the American Clearinghouse on Educational Facilities spread the word about ways to increase Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) and Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) in schools. Part of the purpose of this blog is dedicated to answering questions about school IEQ and IAQ, so please feel free to ask questions.
Q: What's the deal with IEQ and IAQ and why should anyone care?
A: Numerous studies connect learning, teacher retention, abseenteeism, and test scores with IEQ. Twenty percent of the population of the United States spends their day in a school. That translates into a lot of opportunity to breathe either good or bad air. Think back on what your school smelled like - I'm remmbering some funny smells in the schools I attended. Funny smells = particulate matter in the air. Newer schools don't have asbestos or lead paint, but they are much more air-tight, and some of the materials they're constructed or furnished with can be hazardous to human health. A statistic commonly cited is that indoor air quality can be two to seven times worse than outdoor air quality. (Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency http://www.epa.gov/iaq/schools/ .)
Next: Children are at a disadvantage when it comes to Indoor Environmental Quality. And 3 simple ways to increase your schools' IAQ.
As a person from the Hill Country, it is difficult to imagine what poor quality IAQ or IEQ must be like. We, at least in my recollection, had "normal" air quality. I guess my question would be...After maturing and traveling a bit more, it is obvious that urban areas are filled with their unique challenges...Are urban area schools more likely to have poor IEQ or IAQ compared to rural or remote schools? Is it a misconception that air quality is tied to the surrounding environment? If it is the case that urban schools often have more problems with IAQ, what are some ways to tackle the issue?
ReplyDeleteHi Kerry, Great question. Urban schools are more challenged than rural schools due to the fact that outdoor air quality tends to be much worse in cities. However if you live in a rural area and you have cars and buses idling outside classrooms or air intakes you're going to have problems. The age of your buildings can make a difference as well, the maintenance of your buildings, the cleaning products used, the materials and finishes used (for example a recent visit to an older school that had mini blinds, curtains, carpet, asbestos tiles in the ceilings, and lots of clutter raised red flags). For a short answer you might check out www.epa.gov and in the search, look for "Tools for Schools". TfS gives your school district a road map to start a comprehensive Indoor Environmental Quality program. Order the TfS tool kit available by mail or you can download the TfS toolkit. There are also EPA School specialists who can help your school implement some really good changes.
ReplyDeleteI agree a funny smell can make for a long day. The better a place is cleaned up the easier it is to study. I guess that is why students get excited about starting in a new clean building.
ReplyDeleteCGibbs(TSU)
Poor indoor air quality can be attributed to simple routine maintenance. The filters that are used for HVAC need to be changed routinely. It is a possibility that many districts only change their filters once a year. That doesn't make sense. As homeowners who value our heating and air conditioner, we change ours on a regular basis. This is something to think about!
ReplyDeleteB. Irick (TSU)
Poor air quality leads to an uncomfortable day as well. How does someone test air quality and it's affect on learning?
ReplyDelete