A comprehensive assessment of IAQ role in ensuring environment quality and health in schools and plan for future school environment: a systematic review

Abstract

The primary route of COVID-19 infection is airborne transmission, which occurs when an infected person's aerosol droplets are inhaled. To mitigate the spread of the airborne virus, maintaining proper indoor air quality (IAQ) levels is essential. Children are more vulnerable to poor IAQ because they breathe more air per unit of weight and are more susceptible to heat, cold and moisture. Cohesive information based on interventions to control IAQ is essential for making informed decisions on their deployment and greater uptake. We seek to fill this information gap by synthesizing the available scientific literature through this comprehensive study which examines the indoor air pollutants in school buildings and their respective health effects on children with the latest policy interventions and proposes a path for the future school environment. It is reported that high carbon dioxide (CO₂) level causes lethargy and sleepiness leading to poor school attendance, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) cause contact dermatitis, allergic rhinitis, conjunctivitis and lung cancer, particulate matter (PM) causes cardiovascular disease and asthma. Proper ventilation improved the test scores of students and chalkboards usage resulted in chalk dust, contributing to PM₁₀ concentration. The leading causes of poor IAQ are inappropriate building envelopes, inadequate ventilation and lack of appropriate legislative interventions. No one technique has been identified as the only effective way to limit exposure to contaminants, but their combined use can be efficient in the majority of situations. For the best effects, more research is required on evaluating integrated interventions and how to synchronize their operations.