TEACHER DAYS - SNOW DAYS - NOW, IAQ DAYS

NEW BRIGHTON, MN - IAQ stands for Indoor Air Quality, and poor IAQ in schools can be a serious problem. Serious enough to close a school.

Many schools have been identified as having IAQ problems in varying degrees starting with common complaints of "stuffy" and "stale" air. These problems are often traced to factors such as old ventilation systems that no longer operate at original design parameters and efficiencies, poor distribution of ventilation air, increased activity within occupied spaces and the addition of machines and processes that create increased indoor air pollution.

However, simply increasing the outside air circulation may not always provide a solution. In systems where more outside air is brought in to increase ventilation, additional pollutants found in that air can now be introduced to the occupants. Schools around construction zones, farming, heavy traffic areas, airports, within large cities and industrial areas are subject to those additional pollutants. With more outside air being introduced into buildings for the explicit purpose of air cleaning, there is a much larger energy demand on existing heating and cooling systems. And that costs extra dollars in the form of increased utility bills, upgrade costs to heating and cooling systems, or replacing those systems with larger capacity units. Even with all of these considerations, this solution may not necessarily solve an IAQ problem.

Another method is to simply increase inside airflow. This, however, may serve to circulate more pollutants present such as mold, dust, bacteria, dander, etc. The solution that worked for Pike Lake Elementary was to filter and recirculate the air.

Pike Lake Elementary School, in New Brighton, MN, is an example of a school that had problems traced to poor IAQ, and in this case specifically Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC's). We've all experienced the odors given off by various products such as new carpet, adhesives, paint, synthetic wall coverings, cleaning products, insulation products, solvents, chemical reactions, and others. Many of these products release VOC's through a process known as "off-gassing" where various compounds are released into the air, some short term, some long term. Some of these gases are harmful while others are merely unpleasant. Concentrations of VOC's can build to levels that can affect us in a variety of ways.

Some of Pike Lake's staff and students began having problems after carpet was installed in four classrooms following removal of old asbestos tile. Symptoms included headaches, disorientation, nosebleeds, a lack of concentration, and coughs. On December 2, 1996, the rooms were closed and classes shifted to other locations in the school district. They knew that until thorough testing could take place that would identify the problem and a solution could be found, they would have to continue the costly use of alternative classrooms. In order to identify possible sources and contaminants causing the problem, the services of an environmental lab was contracted. Tests conducted included air sampling of the specific "sick" rooms, plus lab testing of carpet and glue samples.

A number of measures were taken to solve the problem. The carpet was removed from the rooms and vinyl tile was installed. New exhaust fans were installed to increase airflow. Still, nothing they did seemed to work. Finally, a Honeywell commercial air cleaner model F111 was installed in one of the "sick" rooms.

Prior to installation of the Honeywell air cleaner, the total VOC reading in the room was 803.9 ug/m3 (micrograms per cubic meter of air space). Over 55 different compounds were identified and concentrations were above acceptable levels for most of them. Within three days of installation and operation of the Honeywell unit, the readings dropped to 119.5 ug/m3, a reduction of 85%. By way of comparison, total VOC counts of 200ug/m3 are generally within acceptable ranges, depending of course, on individual compounds identified. Some VOC's are obviously more harmful than others.

Additional Honeywell model F111 units were then installed in the remaining three "sick" rooms following the tests. The units are installed in the ceiling and take up no floor space in the classroom. They are self-contained and require no exhaust ducting. They utilize three stages of air filtration:

• a prefilter in stage one
• a 95% D.O.P hospital grade filter in stage two for the reduction of particles such as dust, skin flakes, pollen, mold spores and other airborne contaminant
• two CPZ sorbent media modules in stage three that reduce VOC's (volatile organic compounds), gases and odors. CPZ™ is a combination of charcoal, potassium permanganate and zeolite and is highly effective in situations such as the one Pike Lake Elementary faced.

The air flow of the Honeywell model F111 also complements and enhances cooling and heating systems by blending the warm ceiling air with cool floor air for more even temperature control and increased energy efficiency.

Classes resumed on January 6, 1997 with VOC's controlled and much cleaner air for the comfort of students and staff. A follow-up test on January 14 indicated VOC readings dropped to 94.1 ug/m3. Other schools have faced IAQ problems stemming from a variety of causes and some have solved these problems with the help of Honeywell Commercial Air Products. Numerous types of systems are available to help solve specific airborne pollutant problems in both large and small areas. Specific systems can be identified and recommended by consultation.

A real benefit noted in many schools and daycare centers after installation of Honeywell air cleaning systems is a decrease in absentee rates during the typical cold and flu seasons. Because the 95% DOP filters capture some airborne bacteria, this may explain the observed lower absentee rates of students and teachers alike. 95% DOP and True HEPA air filtration systems have also been observed to help some allergy and asthma sufferers as well as people bothered by dust and other pollutants in the air.

Schools, institutions, business and industry face increasingly tougher legislated air quality standards. In addition to the legal ramifications, it is simply good business to provide acceptable indoor air quality, whether it would be for keeping students and staff in schools and in daycare centers or for helping employees.