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Better Indoor Air Quality to Enhance the Social Role and Heritage of School Buildings – The Ferrara Pilot

Ferrara City Street

In our previous article, we discussed the relationship between Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) and Energy Efficiency. A contrasting relationship if we consider that often the interventions carried out in recent decades on our buildings have focused more on the reduction of energy consumption rather than the quality of the air we breathe in our living and working environments. Up until now, it has been considered as a secondary or marginal topic, even though European Directives have long highlighted that the achievement of the highest energy efficiency target cannot disregard other increasingly important parameters such as IAQ1.

Currently, regulations and assessment criteria are being developed that set maximum concentration limits for various harmful substances. These limits are only defined for a few substances, such as Radon and Formaldehyde. For this reason, many organisations are pushing the European legislature to better regulate this area with a multidisciplinary approach. 

In addition to this effort, the EDIAQI Consortium is aiming to investigate sources, exposure pathways and health effects of indoor air pollution in various European cities, including Ferrara. 

School environments are a key focus within the Ferrara pilot case, primarily due to their significant relevance regarding occupant characteristics and the long-term impact of IAQ on well-being and health. 

It’s a fact that schools are attended by potentially vulnerable subjects, and often in large numbers and for prolonged periods of time (about 1,000 hours per year for a secondary school pupil). In addition to this, school buildings are often energy inefficient and lack adequate facilities for air exchange and treatment. For these reasons, school environments represent an excellent case study for generating awareness about the issue as well as the implementation of innovative IAQ systems, the implementation of which would achieve long-term benefits through a relatively small number of actions2.

 

Improving IAQ by engaging students through a scientific approach

The Ferrara Pilot (IT) is still underway and is being developed by Lab Service Analytica, Deda Next and the University of Molise. The main objective of the Ferrara pilot is to acquire new knowledge, propose strategic guidelines for IAQ monitoring, and test new technology for smart assessment of air hygiene.

The structure of the monitoring plan, involving both students and teachers, will draw inspiration from established technical standards. Particularly, the ISO 16.000 - 40 I.A.Q. MSSt. Standard will serve as a primary reference, outlining essential steps for effective management of air quality in confined environments. Additionally, other national guidelines, such as the white paper prepared by the Italian Clust-ER Greentech Working Group on IAQ, will be considered and taken into account. In this regard, we encourage you to download and read the full white paper2, an initiative sponsored by the IAQ Working Group of Clust-ER Greentech in collaboration with Clust-ER Build.

 

Putting into practice and developing the correct approach to IAQ monitoring

Good indoor air has a positive effect on overall performance during anthropogenic activities, such as learning and daily work. Each scenario is different and depends mainly on daily habits and activities. In addition to this, pollutant compounds can be released into the air from different sources. Therefore, the process management adopted to study IAQ in schools will be based on the following pillars: 

  1. Collection of data about the building and characteristics of the rooms where the monitoring instruments will be placed. 
  2. Continuous measurements of IAQ using reportable remote devices. 
  3. Quantitative and qualitative chemical analysis of samples to observe and characterise the presence of Volatile Organic Compounds and Formaldehyde.
  4. Active involvement of students in IAQ monitoring and processing of acquired data.

The approach to the monitoring plan will involve the execution of several steps essential to the proper execution of the activities, which we briefly summarise below:

1.  Inventory

List of air quality aspects, including activities performed and behaviours generally adopted with respect to ventilation /air exchange.

2.   Preliminary assessment

Decide jointly with the schools, the environments and parameters to be monitored, as well as the monitoring plan or other analysis to be carried out.

3.  Analytical assessment. 

Assess the status of relevant aspects of IAQ through processing measured data, discussions with students and teachers, and analysing subjective data pertaining to the perception of well-being.

4.  Assessment results

Residents will have access to real-time synthetic indicators and indices on the status of air quality. Furthermore, periodic reports will be prepared on the overall assessment of IAQ. This may also be carried out by students according to the arrangements and availability of participating mentor teachers.

 

Test innovative solutions for monitoring key chemical and physical pollutants

In parallel with the seasonal collection of samples for medium/long-term qualitative and quantitative chemical analysis, the EDIAQI Project will involve the use of innovative prototype multi-sensor remote instruments for the reliable collection of gas particulate measurements and physical pollutants. These gases and pollutants that will be studied are typical of urban environments and are often found in higher concentrations in indoor environments:

  • Nitrogen dioxide (NO2), Emissions mainly result from combustion processes (e.g., thermal power plants, heating, traffic) and production processes (e.g., fertilizers, etc.).
  • Carbon monoxide (CO), The main source of CO is vehicle exhaust fumes, especially operating at low engine speeds, such as in heavy and slow traffic situations. Other sources include heating systems and some industrial or refining processes.
  • Ozone (O3), Concentration levels in urban areas vary over the course of days and seasons. Ozone (O3) is a gas with a characteristic bluish colour and a strong, pungent odour. Ozone can cause irritation to eye mucous membranes, coughing and impaired respiratory function.
  • Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), Include various groups of chemicals with different physical and chemical behaviours. Some of these compounds are harmful to humans and often have distinguishable odours and aromas, even at low concentrations (ppb). These compounds are widely used in the composition of a wide variety of industrial products and are present in many building materials, from which they are subsequently released by slow emission.
  • Carbon dioxide (CO2), A colourless, odourless gas that is a natural part of our air as part of the carbon cycle. The increase of CO2 in a confined environment used by people is mainly related to respiratory activity. CO2 content is an indicator of perceived well-being and effective air exchange within the monitored room. 
  • Particulate Matter (PM10, PM2.5) PM is a highly complex mixture whose chemical composition depends on its size, sources, residence time in the atmosphere, transport, and chemical transformations. PM10 refers to particulate matter with a size up to 10 μm and it can penetrate the upper respiratory tract. PM2.5, on the other hand, refers to a portion of atmospheric particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 μm or less and it can travel to the deepest part of the respiratory system.

 

Understand the relationship between air pollution and indoor air quality

Indoor ventilation is important to prevent the accumulation of pollutants from indoor sources. However, the concentration of pollutants considered in indoor environments can be affected by the influence of concentrations found outdoors. Therefore, the habit of "changing the air" at the end of a class in a classroom may produce negative effects for the occupants. 

To address this, we must also evaluate the contribution of outdoor air sources, irrespective or not of natural ventilation (opening windows) or mechanical ventilation. For this reason, a research activity related to the contribution of the outdoor sources to the determination of indoor pollution levels is planned within the EDIAQI project. 

This study is made possible by leveraging the Municipality of Ferrara’s pre-existing smart air quality monitoring network, which was specifically designed by Lab Service Analytica within the scope of the UIA AIR BREAK Project. This network shares similar characteristics in terms of sensor utilisation and available temporal resolution. 

An enhanced comprehension of indoor air contamination and the influence of ambient air is crucial for gaining evidence-based insights with the aim of assisting policymakers in re-evaluating standards and regulatory measures. This endeavour takes an inclusive and participatory approach by eliciting input from students vis-à-vis IAQ. Furthermore, it is worth noting that the Ferrara pilot is currently underway, paving the way for live results to be available on the EDIAQI website in the future. These efforts collectively strive to provide robust scientific evidence in support of the European Green Deal's Zero Pollution Action Plan (EDIAQI, 2023).

Several units will be installed and active for IAQ monitoring in schools, offices, entertainment places, and homes by the end of 2023 and they will remain active in Ferrara for at least one year. And please follow our findings and events by subscribing to our newsletter.

For additional information, please visit the Ferrara Pilot Section of the EDIAQI project website. 

References:

  1. Directive (EU) 2018/844 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2018;
  2. Clust-ER Greentech. “Air Quality in Schools, Strategic Guidelines for an Integrated Approach towards indoor well-being”. Retrieved from: https://greentech.clust-er.it/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/QAS-EN-2.pdf 

Note: This article has been published on behalf of Alessandro Battaglia, Lab Service Analytica (LAS).