Effects of Classroom Air Quality on Learning in Schools

This chapter describes the evidence of the effects of indoor air quality (IAQ) on learning of children and gives an overview of the size of the effects expected. The results from the published experiments on the effects of classroom air quality on the performance of schoolwork do confirm that these effects are systematic and show that improving classroom air quality will have a significant positive effect on some aspects of learning, both on cognitive skills and academic attainment, as well as academic achievements and absence rates. Present studies show that to ensure classroom IAQ conducive to learning, CO₂ levels (indicating the adequacy of ventilation) should be kept below 900 ppm at all times. It should be ensured that windows can be opened when needed, to improve classroom IAQ, and CO₂ sensors should be installed to indicate when windows must be open (or any other measure to improve IAQ must be executed) if the CO₂ concentration is too high and when they should be closed to conserve energy.