Indoor
Air Quality (IAQ) in Schoo ls
On this page:
Why is Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) in Schools Important?
What is an effective IAQ Management Plan?
What is the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH)
Doing to Help Schools Develop IAQ Management Plans?
What Actions Can I Take Today to Improve Indoor
Air Quality (IAQ) in My School?
Contacts and Websites
Why is Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) in Schools
Important?
“Indoor levels of air pollutants can be 2-5 times higher, and
occasionally 100 times higher, than outdoor levels. Nearly 55 million people,
20 percent of the U.S. population, spend their days inside elementary
and secondary schools. According to a 1995 federal government report,
an estimated 50 percent of the nation’s schools have problems linked
to poor indoor air quality.” 1
According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA),
IAQ is important for health, economic, and legal reasons. Indoor air
pollutants can cause discomfort, and reduce school attendance and productivity.
Moreover, they can “cause or contribute to short- and long-term
health problems, including asthma, respiratory tract infection and disease,
allergic reactions, headaches, nasal congestion, eye and skin irritations,
coughing, sneezing, fatigue, dizziness and nausea.”1 Poor
indoor air quality can hasten building deterioration. One study of an
elementary school showed that if $8,140 had been spent over 22 years
on preventive maintenance, $1.5 million in repairs could have been avoided1. In addition, poor indoor air quality can contribute to the closing of
schools, create liability problems, and strain relationships among parents,
teachers, and the school administration.
Minnesota law (§123B.57) requires public school districts to adopt
a plan to monitor and improve indoor air quality. The Minnesota Department
of Education (MDE) has adopted the USEPA’s
Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools program as the basis for an effective
IAQ Management Plan.
1 United States Environmental Protection
Agency. "Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools: Actions to Improve
Indoor Air Quality". Publication # 402-F-99-008. September 1999.
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What is an effective IAQ Management Plan?
An effective IAQ Management Plan is a comprehensive, district specific
set of policies and procedures established to maintain and improve indoor
air quality. An effective IAQ Management Plan must include:
- an on-site certified IAQ Coordinator;
- an overall evaluation (walkthrough) performed on all school district
buildings;
- the evaluation of specific building systems (classrooms, ventilation
system, maintenance operations), using checklists or a comparable method;
- a written set of policies and schedules that describes ways to correct
the identified IAQ problems, prevent future problems,
and respond to emergencies and concerns;
- an annual review of the plan, including school board approval.
An effective IAQ Management Plan is designed to meet the goals and needs
of a specific school district. Expectations of an IAQ Management Plan
must be realistic and manageable so that commitment from the school board,
the administration, and staff can be achieved. Effective IAQ Management
Plans may also refer to other written programs that could assist in maintaining
good air quality within school buildings, such as an Integrated Pest
Management program, or the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA)
management plan.
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What is the Minnesota Department
of Health (MDH) Doing to Help School Officials Monitor and Improve Air Quality?
MDH in collaboration with MDE has offered several annual trainings. Training annoucements are posted on the MDH school IAQ website. These trainings provide USEPA Indoor Air Quality Tools for
Schools materials, introduce general IAQ principals, describe common problems and solutions, and present the procedures for developing an IAQ Management Plan.
MDH has created an IAQ Management Plan and Development Package, which includes instructions to develop a plan, links to EPA checklists, a Model IAQ Management Plan, and other information. This Model Plan covers the MN requirements for an effective and district-specific management plan, and draws on information from existing plans for Minnesota schools, the Tools for Schools program, and other published resources.
MDH is also actively involved in providing practical and scientifically
sound information on mold, asthma triggers and other IAQ topics and its proper remediation in schools. MDH
has developed guidance documents for mold investigation, mold remediation, and the management of environmental asthma triggers.
Finally, school officials, including charter and non-public schools may request technical (not financial) assistance from MDH. Contact the MDH Indoor Air Unit for more information.
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What Actions Can I Take Today to Improve Indoor
Air Quality (IAQ) in My School2?
Every member of the school community plays a role in monitoring and
improving air quality in school buildings. By becoming IAQ-conscious and taking
some simple actions, you can make a real impact on the health and productivity
of all members of the school. Click below to see some simple things every
person in a school can do to make a difference right now.
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Contacts and Web Sites
IAQ Management Plan for Schools:
Mold in Schools
Cleaning and Indoor Air Quality
Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
Asthma
School Bus Idling
Other School Health
Services and Funding
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For questions about this page or indoor air quality, please contact the Indoor
Air Unit at health.indoorair@state.mn.us, 651-201-4601 or 800-798-9050.
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