Association of parent-reported health symptoms with indoor air quality in primary school buildings - The InAirQ study

Previous studies investigating the associations between indoor air quality and health symptoms of schoolchildren have created a substantial knowledge; however, there are still inconsistencies and knowledge gaps. In the framework of the InAirQ study, the associations between the occurrence of recent health symptoms of children and the exposure to air pollutants in school buildings were investigated across Central Europe. Volatile organic compounds, aldehydes, PM2.5 mass, carbon dioxide and physical parameters (temperature, relative humidity) were measured during the heating period of 2017/2018 in 64 primary school buildings. A questionnaire was used to survey the prevalence of allergy and the occurrence of past-year asthma-like and recent (<3 months) respiratory, ocular, dermal and general symptoms of the children in the monitored classroom. In total, 1084 parent-reported questionnaires were completed. Significant spatial differences were identified in the reported symptoms. While the highest frequencies of asthma-like symptoms were reported among the Slovenian schoolchildren, the highest occurrences of recent respiratory, dermal and general symptoms were found in Poland. Regarding the relationship between the frequencies of respiratory symptoms and the concentrations of air pollutants, the following significant associations were identified: nasal obstruction and ethylbenzene, xylenes, formaldehyde, PM2.5 mass; sore throat and formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, propionaldehyde, hexanal, carbon dioxide, air stuffiness; irritative cough and PM2.5, hazard index. High concentrations of aromatic hydrocarbons were associated with the high occurrences of dermal symptoms. Significant associations were found between the frequencies of headache and fatigue and the levels of air stuffiness, while the occurrence of fatigue was also associated with hexanal concentrations.

Automated summary

The study investigated the associations between air pollutant exposure in school buildings and health symptoms of children in Central Europe. It found spatial differences in reported symptoms and significant associations between air pollutant concentrations and respiratory, dermal, and general symptoms.