CARBON DIOXIDE CONCENTRATIONS IN CLASSROOMS AND ASSOCIATION WITH STUDENT PERFORMANCE: A PRELIMINARY STUDY

摘要

Poor conditions leading to substandard indoor air quality (IAQ) in classrooms have been frequently cited in the literature over the past two decades. The poor conditions, resulting from numerous interrelated factors, have been validated by a combination of visual documentation/observations and objective measurements. However, given all of the exposure data that have been recorded through the years, there is limited data linking poor IAQ in the classrooms to student performance. Whereas, it is assumed that these conditions result in reduced attendance,reduced learning potential, and subsequent poor student performance, validating this hypothesis presents a challenge in today's school environment. This study explores the association between student performance on standardized aptitude tests that are administered to students on a yearly basis, to classroom carbon dioxide concentrations. The CO2 concentrations in classrooms provide a surrogate of ventilation being provided to each room. Data on classroom conditions and carbon dioxide concentrations (over a 4-5 hr time span within a typical school day) were recorded in 5th grade classrooms in fifty four schools (K-8) within a Midwestem school district in the USA. Preliminary results are reported in the paper.