Air quality in classrooms: efficiency of the new air purifier ALANA™

Why do an experiment in classrooms?

After their home environment, it's in classrooms that students are most exposed to pollution, according to a study on daily exposure to ultrafine particles and black carbon in children conducted by ANSES and ADEME (2016). [1]

Insufficient ventilation, poorly maintained ventilation, humidity, cleaning products... are the most common sources of air pollution in classrooms. The damage to children's health can be real and numerous because their lungs are still growing.

In addition, air pollution increases the risk of developing diseases such as allergic rhinitis, and neurodevelopmental disorders ((hyperactivity, migraine...), and can also cause cancer (and also be a factor in obesity).

Indoor air quality testing in Classrooms

Always keen to test TEQOYA solutions in real life, we evaluated the impact of ALANA™ air purifier on air quality in two classrooms of the Anatole France elementary school (Saint-Ouen, Paris region) from January to June 2022.

Our main goal was to prove the high performance of our new technology e-filtration in situ, and the efficiency of using compact air purifiers distributed in a large space (like a classroom) - rather than a single large device. [2]

For the experiment at Anatole France elementary school, the protocol of measurements implemented was well controlled: two contiguous classrooms and very similar in dimensions, exposure, and doors and windows openings; ideal conditions for the experiment!

Quick note: the measurement of the PM2.5 index was one of the indoor air quality indicators used during our experiment. Before the air purifiers ALANA™ were put into operation, we observed that the PM2.5 index measured in the classrooms exceeded the threshold recommended by the World Health Organization (5 μg/m3 on average, and 15 μg/m3 over a day): an average of 25 days over 45 school days (see table below). Exceeding the WHO threshold is common to all schools in the Ile-de-France region: according to a study by Respire (2019), more than 93% of the region's 12,000 schools exceed the WHO recommendations. [4]

Zoom in classrooms of the experiment

In the interest of transparency, we also point out that the conditions in the classrooms during the period of the experiment did not make scientific measurements an easy task, meaning the comparison in strictly identical conditions was challenging. Indeed, the level of activity changed and the weather conditions led to the windows being open often. Finally, COVID instructions obliged the teachers to ventilate the classrooms more than normal. This is why we offset this difficulty by using a long-time sample since the experiment lasted 6 months (3 months without purifier, 3 months with air purifiers ALANA™).

Although the air mixing induced by the opening of the windows favors the entry of the external pollutants, we observed a significant and consistent influence of the air purifiers...

This outcome is particularly interesting because it was obtained during a semester when classroom windows were frequently opened while purifiers were still turned on:

• During the winter months, the windows were open during all inter-class periods, including the mid-day break (COVID instructions).
• During the warm, sunny spring months and the southwest exposure of the classrooms, both windows were open during breaks, and at least one of them was open during class.

The impact of the air purifiers is therefore highly positive in this context of use. We can reasonably conclude that the reduction of airborne particles would be even greater in an ordinary ventilation context.

Last but not least, the feedback from the teachers was also positive: the acoustic comfort was preserved during the classes (the decibels of the unit are considered acceptable) and the use is considered very simple.

To learn more about: Report on the experiment conducted in the Anatole France elementary school in Saint-Ouen.

Successful results already in 2019

Already in 2019 (way before the beginning of the Covid health crisis), TEQOYA agreed on an experiment in schools with the support of the municipal authorities and the French company ENTRA. For 4 months, our air purifiers were installed and tested in a nursery school in Aubervilliers (Paris region). The results proved that air pollution was divided by 3 in classrooms equipped with TEQOYA air purifiers.

Just like the TEQOYA 450... designed for air purification in establishments open to the public, ALANA™ is particularly well suited for use in classrooms. ALANA™ is discreet, energy efficient, long-lasting and easy-to-use (no filters to change).

Learn here more about ALANA™ air purifier. If you have any questions, contact us !

Sources

[1] ANSES. " The exposure to ultrafine particles in school-aged children ". Cahier de la recherche 7 - Santé Pollution atmosphérique (anses.fr)

[2] In the scope of the Participatory Budget of the Ile de France Region voted in 2021, the commune of Saint Ouen, RESPIRE and TEQOYA.

[3] In the program T. H. Chan School of Public Health of Harvard (2021): Portable Air Cleaners: Selection and Application Considerations for COVID-19 Risk Reduction - Healthy Buildings (Harvard.edu)

[4] PM2.5 represents the mass concentration of particles with an aerodynamic radius of less than 2.5 micrometers. We recall that the WHO recommends not to exceed 5 μg/m3 on average, and 15 μg/m3 over a day. Air pollution: the vast majority of schools in Île-de-France are above WHO recommendations - Respire (respire-asso.org)