Air pollution in primary educational environments in a European context

Abstract

As the modern population grows, most residents live in cities with inadequate ambient air quality. While daily exposure to outdoor air pollution is inevitable, people spend most of their time indoors. Thus, indoor air quality (IAQ) has significant impacts on human health, possibly leading to greater risks than outdoor pollution, which is especially relevant for susceptible populations. Children spend a large part of their daily time in education settings (such as nurseries, kindergartens, preschools, primary and elementary schools). The respective indoor air quality is a significant parameter for their health. However, despite the relevance of these specific environments, the current knowledge concerning the respective levels of pollution and child exposures is far from comprehensive. The present chapter introduces the topic of indoor air pollution in child populations. It outlines the relevance of child education settings, emphasizing large-scale studies conducted in primary schools within the European context. (c) 2022 Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.