Promoting healthy indoor air quality in schools: COVID-19 and beyond The COVID-19 pandemic has taught all of us that air
purifiers can help to clean air in any area where stu-
quality matters, and that indoor spaces need clean
dents, teachers, and staff spend time, including not just
air in order to be safer for the people inside them. As
the classroom but shared spaces such as hallways, caf-
Canadian students are back in school and mask man-
eterias, or gyms.
dates are lifting, the air quality in classrooms and shared
Delos offers advanced air purification solutions that
spaces throughout the school is once again top of mind.
focus on capturing ultrafine particles and delivering
Every school administrator must make the key decision
cleaner air in the breathing zone. Delos Advanced Air
surrounding the right investment to help keep students,
purification standalone units, for example, have patent-
teachers, and staff safe considering not only COVID-19
ed technology that utilizes electrostatic precipitation
but all types of harmful air pollution?
combined with mechanical filtration to capture and de-
The importance of indoor air quality
activate bacteria and viruses, as well as trap particulate
Did you know that the benefits of IAQ extend far beyond COVID-19? Clean air is essential to our health. Air pollutants can contribute to a range of short-term symptoms, such as eye, nose, and throat irritation and headaches, as well as long-term adverse health outcomes, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, lung cancer, and respiratory issues. They can even play a role in premature mortality, as air pollution is considered one of the greatest killers of our generation. Children are especially vulnerable to air pollution’s adverse effects due to their developing bodies and behaviours. Air quality isn’t just important for physical health. Growing evidence suggests that exposure to air pollution negatively affects children’s neurodevelopment. Research has also linked better air quality to higher productivity and better performance among students, such as improved concentration and test scores. Some examples of threats to indoor air quality beyond COVID-19 include the infiltration of outdoor air pollution such as particulate matter, dampness and
matter (PM2.5 and PM10). Delos Advanced Air Purification standalone units are capable of capturing and removing ultrafine particles as small as 0.007 microns at 99.99 per cent aggregate efficiency. In a recent study conducted at the Well Living Lab – founded as a Delos and Mayo Clinic collaboration – the aerosol particle concentration in a simulated, real-world classroom was five times lower with the use of three Delos Intellipure Compact portable air purifiers. To date, Delos has provided over 250,000 advanced air purification units to schools across North America.
Delos IAQ solutions for schools Improving IAQ throughout the entire school community not only helps to protect students and staff from airborne diseases, such as Covid-19 and the flu, but can also improve student productivity and performance. By providing cleaner air in schools, school administrators have the opportunity to create learning environments where students and teachers alike can thrive, while also providing peace of mind to students, teachers, staff,
mold, and allergens.
and parents.
How to improve indoor air quality
tors that affect student health, wellbeing, and perfor-
For more information on indoor environmental fac-
Air purifiers can help reduce the concentration of
mance, and steps that schools can take to address
pollutants indoors by actively filtering indoor air. Many
these factors, make sure to visit deloscanada.ca or for
schools lack mechanical ventilation systems equipped
more information contact Alex.france@delos.com, tele-
with high-grade mechanical air filters so portable air
phone 437-219-2504. n
42
Ops Talk • Spring 2022
