Indoor Air Quality is an important issue in schools for many reasons. Poor Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) in school buildings has both short and long term negative effects on the health of young children and their ability concentrate to learn well.
As a teacher it is important to make children aware that their health can be affected by what they touch and come in contact with, in their environment both at school and at home.
What children eat, what they drink, what air they breathe, these are all important to their health and feeling well. We can all live many days without food, a few days without drinking, but only a few minutes without breathing. Breathing air free from pollution with the correct levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide is crucial to keep us alive and alert from one minute to the next. Oxygen is very important to people young and old and enables our brains and bodies to work effectively. We also need to breathe out carbon dioxide as it is a waste product for people but helps plants to thrive. Indoor plants located in the school building can help improve indoor air quality.
Low levels of oxygen in the air along with raised levels of air pollution can make children feel sleepy and even sick. Their ability to concentrate and think clearly will be reduced.
In school building classrooms the is important. Its job is to supply clean air at the correct temperature and humidity and change the air sufficiently often to maintain oxygen levels and dilute carbon dioxide.
