Air Quality
Simple actions to cut air pollution Research has found that simple air quality measures – such as air purifiers, no car zones and green screens – can cut outdoor and indoor exposure of toxins in and around schools by almost half
Children spend a significant amount of installing air purifiers in classrooms, and their time during the weekday at school. organising School Street initiatives during For 10 million students in the UK, this pick-up and drop-off hours, improved air time at school accounts for about 30 per quality of classrooms and playgrounds. cent of their life, with about 70 per cent The researchers found that air purifiers of that time being spent indoors learning in classrooms reduced indoor pollution and carrying out various activities. concentrations by up to 57 per cent. In the UK, about 2,000 primary schools The School Streets initiative, which stops are located in areas where air pollution people driving past schools at the start levels breach World Health and end of school days, reduced particle Organisation air quality concentrations by up to 36 per cent. In limits (WHO, 2021). Green screens at the school Primary school boundary reduced outdoor particle the UK children are levels coming from roads by about 2 , , amongst the up to 44 per cent, depending 0 0 0 primary most at risk, on wind conditions. s c h ools are loca since, at that where ted in areas young age, Breaching air quality a i r p their lungs are limits o l lu levels b still developing, Currently, all London reach Wtion HO and polluted schools are in breach air qua lity air can inhibit of the World Health limits their growth. Air Organization’s air quality pollution can also limits, leaving children exacerbate asthma, vulnerable to respiratory bronchitis, other respiratory diseases, poor lung and brain diseases and behavioural problems, as well health, behavioural problems, as adversely affect brain health, cognitive and increased risk of cancer. function and academic performance. Prashant Kumar, founding In addition to air pollution, the quality director of the Global Centre for of the indoor environment, with respect Clean Air Research (GCARE) at to other parameters such as, fresh air the University of Surrey, said: ventilation, thermal comfort and relative “Everybody, especially our humidity, also plays an important role in children, deserves to live young children’s health and wellbeing and work where the and hence can affect school attendance, air is as clean and productivity, learning performance. safe as possible. To assess what measures schools can Unfortunately, put in place to improve air quality, Arup, the reality Global Action Plan, and the University is far from of Surrey conducted a project, which ideal, with was supported by Impact on Urban many of Health. The research was published in our schools the journal Atmospheric Environment. unwittingly exposing Simple measures for a big children impact to harmful The research found that simple air pollutants. quality measures can cut outdoor The and indoor exposure of toxins in and problem is around schools by almost half. particularly Working with a select number of bad at schools London schools in Lambeth, researchers near busy roads. investigated whether putting up a green “Our research screen along the perimeter fence of a school, offers hope to
many who care about this issue, as the results show that taking reasonable action can make a positive difference.” Kate Langford, programme director of the Health Effects of Air pollution programme at Impact on Urban Health, funders of the research, said: “Every child has the right to learn in an environment that keeps them safe and healthy. But, every day, children are exposed to dangerously high levels of air pollution in and around schools. “Our partnership with Arup, Global Action Plan and the University of Surrey has shown there are practical ways that we can protect children in and around schools and can help guide schools to implement these solutions. “These measures now need to be combined with efforts from local authorities at E
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