Has your child been missing school more often lately? Do they come home sniffling, coughing, or complaining about headaches? Do they find it difficult to focus in the classroom?

All this may not be a seasonal bug or attention issues. Poor air quality at the school may be causing it. Keep reading this article to find out how air quality in school can affect the health and performance of your kid.

What is in Your Kid’s School Air and Why it Matters

Your child’s school and classroom may look spotless and smell fresh, but they can still be hiding thousands of harmful indoor air pollutants. Maintenance issues at school (mold and moisture), use of excessive chemical cleaners, or simply heavy traffic around the school may contribute to poor IAQ. 

Here’s a list of pollutants that may be present in your kid’s school air, where they come from, and how often they’re found in schools:

Also, the health impact of poor IAQ in schools isn’t limited to students. One teacher on Reddit shared that they work in a 1955-built school with visible mold and suffer from recurring sinus infections, fatigue, and brain fog. Four of their students even had nosebleeds due to the mold. Yet proper action is absent because of budget constraints.

Understanding the Impact of Indoor Air Quality in Schools on Health and Learning

Like most parents, you might be focused on keeping your home’s IAQ in check. But the reality is that your child spends just as much — if not more — time at school. That means the air they breathe there can significantly affect how they feel, learn, and perform.

Here’s how poor air quality at school can impact your kid’s health and learning capabilities:

Respiratory Problems 

A 2018 study examined the link between respiratory issues and school air quality, finding a clear association. Mold spores, dust, carbon dioxide, VOCs, and particulate matter can enter their lungs, causing wheezing, coughing, and other respiratory ailments. 

Now, this doesn’t mean only kids with asthma or bronchitis are affected. These indoor air pollutants in schools can affect even a perfectly healthy kid's health.  

No wonder the American Lung Association estimates that 1 in 13 school children has asthma. 

Impact on Brain Development and Learning

Poor IAQ in schools can clearly affect your child’s academic performance. A recent study claims that air pollution is a developmental neurotoxicant that slows cognitive function in kids. Studies also show that poor indoor air quality in schools can:

• Harm students’ academic performance
• Reduce cognitive abilities
• Lower concentration 
• Impact memory retention

One study found that students in well-ventilated classrooms scored 14–15% higher on standardized tests than those in classrooms with poor outdoor air circulation. The reason is simple: when CO2 levels exceed 1000 ppm, concentration and productivity decline. 

Increase in Absenteeism

Did you know that the CDC lists asthma as the leading cause of chronic disease-related absenteeism in U.S. schools?

School environments can trigger allergies and asthma in kids due to things like:

• A leaky roof
• Problems with heating and ventilation
• Insufficient cleaning
• Cleaning excessively with high-VOC chemicals
• Failure to maintain HVAC systems

This can make kids sick more frequently, leading to more missed school days. 

In fact, EPA data show that schools with well-maintained HVAC systems have higher average daily attendance than those without.  

Long-Term Effects

If you think poor air quality at school only affects your child’s health in the school years, you’re wrong. What your child inhales at school has a lasting impact on their body and can, in fact, increase risk factors for certain types of ailments. 

For instance, prolonged exposure to polluted air has been linked to increased risk of heart diseases, lung cancer, and even mental health issues in the long-run. 

So, the health impact of poor quality school air is putting more than the present at risk.

What is the Legal Framework Around Air Quality Testing in Schools?

So, what are the legal standards of school IAQ testing? When is action needed? Who decides it?

Well, this is where things get a little challenging. You see, guidance on school IAQ testing and maintenance comes from federal agencies like the EPA and CDC. So they include:

• The EPA’s IAQ Tools for Schools
• The CDC’s recommendations for ventilation improvement for compliance with standards set by ASHRAE

But these are advisory frameworks and best practices, not enforceable legal standards. State-level regulations help set indoor air quality standards for schools. These rules often specify how often air quality testing must be done and the minimum air quality levels schools must maintain. Thus, there can be significant variability. 

Some states, like Connecticut, require regular air testing, ventilation checks, and clear plans to fix problems. Others may not have specific enforceable rules but may run voluntary programs. For instance, Colorado has the Clean Air Program that offers free HEPA air cleaners to participating schools.

How Air Quality Testing in Schools Makes a Difference?

Poor air quality in schools can result from various factors. So how will you know what’s behind it? The answer is testing! 

Here’s how air quality testing in schools can help:

• Professional air quality testing can detect hidden pollutants, including VOCs, CO2, radon, and PM2.5 particles.
• Air quality testing in schools helps the administration identify the true cause of the issue rather than guessing.
• Professional testing can provide clear action steps and recommendations for improving IAQ.
• Testing can detect problems early, reducing absenteeism and improving overall health and productivity.

For professional indoor air quality testing, there’s simply no one better than InHaus Lab. Give us a call, and we’ll get you a quote in 30 minutes! 

What Can Schools Do to Protect the Indoor Air Quality?

On the part of schools, several steps can be taken. One of the most effective approaches is to set up an IAQ Management Program. The EPA provides the program framework, toolkit, and guidelines in detail. 

Apart from that, schools can also try these steps:

• Install continuous IAQ monitors in classrooms.
• Stay up-to-date on HVAC maintenance.
• Avoid high-VOC chemicals. 

Clean Air in Schools: Better Attendance and Better Returns 

So now you know that your child’s frequent sniffles and poor grades in class tests may be due to poor indoor air quality at school. If you suspect that’s the case, bring it up with the school administration right away. 

What’s more is that you can make your home’s IAQ safe to ensure your kid is not getting double exposure to pollutants. Here are a few simple air quality best practices you can implement at home:

• Open the windows and run exhaust fans, especially in the washroom
• Use air purifiers with HEPA filters
• Choose safer, low-VOC products at home
• Get regular comprehensive home health assessments done

For the last step, you can trust InHaus Lab's thorough, science-backed approach. We combine mold, air, water, and radon testing into a single visit to give your home a comprehensive Home Health Score so you know your kid’s safety at home is guaranteed. 

Get tested today if you’re in Aspen or Minneapolis. But don’t worry if you’re living elsewhere. We are spreading our high-quality testing services across America and will soon reach your doorstep!

Air Quality Testing in Schools FAQs

1. Why is air quality testing in schools important?

Air quality testing in schools helps identify mold, carbon dioxide, VOCs, and other harmful pollutants before they affect the health and performance of the students and teachers. Professional testing helps identify specific issues and address them to reduce absenteeism and create a more comfortable learning environment.

2. What are the main sources of air pollution in a school?

Poor ventilation, outdated HVAC systems, old buildings, VOC-heavy chemical cleaners and art supplies, and emissions from nearby traffic are common sources of air pollution in schools.

3. Can poor air quality in school affect student performance?

Yes. According to studies, higher CO2, VOCs, particulate matter, and other pollutants in schools is linked to reduced attention span, poor concentration, reduced memory, and poorer performance on standardized tests. 

4. What are the legal requirements for air quality testing in schools?

Federal agencies like the EPA offer guidelines. But legal requirements vary by state. Some states have regular inspection and ventilation standards, while others have voluntary guidelines.

5. Can air pollution at school lead to asthma?

Yes. Research shows that classroom air pollution can cause or worsen asthma in kids. Exposure to mold spores, VOCs, PM2.5 particles, and other pollutants at school can trigger or worsen respiratory ailments, like asthma.

References

• EPA, How Does Indoor Air Quality Impact Student Health and Academic Performance 
• ISGlobal
• CDC
• EPA, IAQ Tools for Schools Resources