Abstract
Schools and day care centres (also called kindergartens) are important indoor environments for children. There is evidence that the indoor environment in day care centres and schools can increase asthma, asthmatic symptoms, rhinitis and other medical symptoms (e.g. eye irritation, dermal symptoms, headache and fatigue) among children. The indoor environment may also affect teachers and other staff. Moreover, impaired indoor environment in schools may impair learning and mental ability among school children. Ventilation flow should fulfil current general ventilation standards for indoor environments. Installation of a mechanical ventilation system is the safest way to ensure sufficient ventilation flow. Control of room temperature and effective cleaning routines are other important measures to improve the indoor environment. Exposure to building dampness and indoor microbial growth should be avoided and occurrence of indoor mould and bacteria should be minimized. Chemical emissions from building materials should be reduced by selecting low emitting materials and consumer products. Wall-to-wall carpets should not be used in schools and day care centres since they are difficult to clean and can accumulate allergens and microbial compounds. Schools and day care centres buildings should be located away from heavy trafficked roads to reduce exposure to traffic air pollution. Since children are a sensitive subgroup of the population, schools and day care centres should meet high standards for indoor environment and indoor air quality.
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Appendices
Appendix 1: Typical Indoor Exposure in Day Care Centres and Schools
1.1 Microorganisms
Mould, bacteria, virus.
1.2 Microbial Compounds
Endotoxin (from gram-negative bacteria).
Muramic acid (from gram-positive bacteria.
Ergosterol (from mould).
Beta-1,3-glucan (from mould).
Fungal and bacterial DNA.
1.3 Allergens
Allergenic proteins from cats, dogs, mice, house dust mites, cockroaches and horses.
1.4 Gaseous Inorganic Compounds
Nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulphur dioxide (SO2), Ozone (O3), Carbon dioxide (CO2).
1.5 Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC)
Formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, acrolein, benzene, toluene, xylene, n-alkanes, 2-ethyl-1-hexanol, Texanol, VOC of possible microbial origin (MVOC) such as 1-octen-3-ol and geosmin.
1.6 Semi-volatile Organic Compounds (SVOC)
Phthalates, non-phthalate plasticizers, brominated flame retardants, phosphorinated flame retardants, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), Texanol, TXIB.
1.7 Airborne Particle Mass (PM)
PM10, PM2.5, submicron particle number concentration (PN), ultra-fine particles (UFP).
Appendix 2: Types of Allergens Found in Day Care Centres and Schools
Cat allergen (Fel d 1).
Dog allergen (Can f 1).
Horse allergen (Equ cx).
House dust mite allergens from Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Der p1), Dermatophagoides farinae (Der f1) and Dermatophagoides microceras (Der m 1).
Storage mite allergens from Blomia tropicalis in schools in tropical areas.
Cockroach allergens from German cochroach (Bla g 1) and American cockroach (Bla g 2).
Mouse and rat allergens.
Fungal allergens, e.g. from Alternaria alternata and Aspergillus species.
Appendix 3: Typical Indoor Problem in Schools and Day Care Centres and How to Solve Them
Type of indoor problem | How to solve the problem |
---|---|
High indoor CO2 levels | Less students per floor area |
Increase ventilation flow | |
Install a mechanical ventilation system | |
High room temperature | Less students per floor area |
Increase ventilation flow | |
Reduce solar influx of heat | |
Low room temperature | Improve thermal insulation of the building |
Increase capacity of heating sources | |
Dampness or indoor mould | Make a building investigation to identify sources and causes of the dampness problem |
Remove affected building materials | |
Elevated indoor PM10 or PM2.5 | Increase ventilation flow |
Increase cleaning frequency | |
Air filtration to reduce infiltration from polluted outdoor environment | |
Elevated ultra-fine particles (UFP) | Check indoor and outdoor combustion sources |
Elevated levels of volatile chemicals | Make an investigation to identify emission sources |
Increase ventilation flow |
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Takaoka, M., Norbäck, D. (2020). The Indoor Environment in Schools, Kindergartens and Day Care Centres. In: Kishi, R., Norbäck, D., Araki, A. (eds) Indoor Environmental Quality and Health Risk toward Healthier Environment for All. Current Topics in Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-32-9182-9_5
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