How poor air quality can affect student learning

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COVID-19 has thrown a spotlight onto the air we breathe, but poorly ventilated areas are still posing a risk to both students and teachers. Technology expert Honeywell explains the benefits of its new tool for monitoring and proactively managing air quality

FROM MASK-WEARING to social distancing, the practices introduced to combat the COVID-19 pandemic have shone a spotlight on disease transmission – and, in particular, on the air we breathe every day. Crowded indoor spaces have become particularly problematic and have been pinpointed as areas of higher transmission risk. This has led to some serious discussions about the importance of good indoor air quality, with several studies suggesting that poor ventilation can lead directly to increased airborne disease transmission. Technology company Honeywell recently released a white paper focused on air quality in schools and other educational institutions, and on the impact poor air quality

Honeywell has been innovating in safety for more than 100 years. We provide a proven, tested and vetted line of products, services and software solutions, all of which are designed to improve decision-making and productivity, manage risks and respond to safety threats. COVID-19 has highlighted the importance of indoor air quality, and Honeywell continues to shape the future with the innovative Honeywell Transmission Risk Air Monitor. We design with people in mind. We are with you today, and we will stand with you tomorrow.

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“The COVID-19 pandemic certainly raised a lot of health awareness, and it’s actually become a tool for a lot of the professionals who have been screaming about the importance of indoor air quality for some time”

Ibbi Rizk, Honeywell

can have on student health. It highlights that while a lack of ventilation can lead to higher risk of virus transmission, poor air quality – and particularly a high concentration of carbon dioxide (CO₂) – can also affect students’ cognitive learning ability, as well as their focus levels and thinking skills.

With school and university students sharing enclosed spaces for long periods of time day-to-day, Honeywell notes that air quality will undoubtedly start to have an impact on health and wellbeing – and this is where CO₂ monitoring technology can become an invaluable tool. Measuring CO₂ to reduce infection risk One of the key indicators of poor air quality is a high quantity of CO₂, which can occur when a space has a high concentration of people exhaling. A research study by two University of Colorado scientists found that CO₂ monitoring can be used to assess the risk of airborne virus transmission, and that exhaled CO₂ can be used as a COVID-19 risk infection proxy. A Harvard study also specified that a CO₂ level of approximately 950ppm (parts per million) is common and satisfies the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers guidance for acceptable indoor air quality.

Fortunately, CO₂ levels can be measured easily, and the study found that CO₂ monitoring is a good practical tool that can provide actionable information when CO₂ levels become too high. Honeywell sales engineer Ibbi Rizk says CO₂ monitoring is useful for protection against not only COVID-19 but all airborne viruses – all of which are increasing in circulation as we head into the cold winter months. “Our CO₂ monitor is the Honeywell Transmission Risk Air Monitor, and it will tell you whether the indoor space that you’re occupying is a safe environment when it comes to the transmission of viruses,” Rizk says.

“A lot of research has been done on air quality and its effects on disease transmission and cognitive processing, and the UK has actually brought in legislation around the monitoring of carbon dioxide in educational spaces”

Ibbi Rizk, Honeywell

The University of Colorado study has also shown that monitoring and maintaining a healthy CO₂ level will reduce the risk of disease transmission, and that CO₂ sensors can be excellent indicators of infection risk. Though CO₂ detectors have not been widely used until recent years, they are rapidly gaining popularity among schools and businesses – and with new technology and manufacturing processes, they have also become more affordable. Better air quality enhances cognitive learning Disease transmission is not the only risk of poor air quality. A high level of CO₂ can also lead to decreased cognitive functioning, fatigue and poor focus.

“I personally remember being in one- to two-hour lectures in a crowded theatre at university – at the end of the session, a lot of us would start to yawn and get very tired,” he explains. “But as soon as you finish and get outside, you’re fresh again. A lot of this is all about ventilation, and the research that’s been done really bears that out. “We have a school in our area which is currently using this monitor, and one of the other great things about it is that the younger children get really involved,” Rizk adds. “They know what all the different levels mean, and they will ask for actions to be taken, so it’s a great way of getting them engaged in improving their own educational space.” Honeywell’s Transmission Risk Air Monitor has already been installed in schools across Tasmania and Western Australia, and Rizk notes that one of its more unique features is its online dashboard. Designed specifically for universities with multiple campuses, the dashboard provides a central point of control and allows the user to view and manage thousands of CO₂ detectors from one screen. “One teacher can look back at their individual results over a period of time, and the entire university can be networked too,” Rizk says. “It just gives you a really holistic view of what’s happening across the board.” Changing the way we manage virus transmission The popularity of CO₂ detectors has been rising steadily, and Rizk says the general public’s increased awareness of virus transmission has certainly helped this along. While it was previously common for people to go to school, work and the shopping mall while sick, this is becoming less and less the case – instead, people are going out of their way to take precautions around disease transmission. He says this awareness will no doubt filter down to the viruses less commonly talked about and will further the discussion around the link between health and good air quality. “The COVID-19 pandemic certainly raised a lot of health awareness, and it’s actually become a tool for a lot of the professionals who have been screaming about the importance of indoor air quality for some time,” Rizk says. “I think this awareness will filter through to other areas and viruses – the flu season, for example, which doesn’t get as much media attention as COVID. But people are making the decision to wear their masks and to keep themselves safe. I think that will definitely serve us well moving forward.” To find out more about the Honeywell Transmission Risk Air Monitor, click here.

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Health benefits of good ventilation

crisis response

strategy and complex thinking

capacity to use information

Source: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

According to a 2015 Harvard study, good ventilation resulted in major improvements in:

A 2015 study conducted by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health showed that participants in well-ventilated environments performed better across nine different areas of cognitive functioning, including task orientation, crisis response and strategy. Rizk notes that several Australian states have already made recommendations around air quality in schools, and schools across several regions have implemented CO₂ detection tools over the last several years. “In Australia, there have been recommendations from different state health departments,” Rizk says. “Places like New South Wales and Western Australia have made recommendations for schools to have CO₂ monitors, and I really see the benefits of that.

KEY FEATURES OF THE HONEYWELL TRANSMISSION RISK AIR MONITOR

Monitors CO , temperature and humidity

800–1,000 square feet coverage

3 risk levels (green/yellow/red)

3 activity-level settings

“We’re not just talking about COVID-19 but also your regular influenza and common cold viruses. That’s very beneficial where a lot of students are present in one space, or when you have a lot of people gathered in a conference room with no windows open, or with limited ventilation. “A school is a place where a lot of people are staying inside the building for a long period of time every day,” Rizk explains. “Students are at school from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and regular classes are 45 minutes to an hour. It’s a long time to have a lot of people enclosed in one place. A lot of research has been done on air quality and its effects on disease transmission and cognitive processing, and the UK has actually brought in legislation around the monitoring of carbon dioxide in educational spaces.”

KEY FEATURES OF THE HONEYWELL TRANSMISSION RISK AIR MONITOR

Monitors CO , temperature and humidity

800–1,000 square feet coverage

3 risk levels (green/yellow/red)

3 activity-level settings