Outdated Infrastructure and High Costs Pose Greatest Challenge to IAQ Improvements in Schools, New Study Finds

Source: Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council

The Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council, with technical support from ASHRAE, has released a new report, Preparation in the Pandemic: How Schools Implemented Air Quality Measures to Protect Occupants from COVID-19 detailing the measures schools have taken to improve indoor air quality (IAQ) in school buildings in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The report is based on responses from more than 4,000 schools serving 2.5 million students in 24 states. The analysis finds that schools have implemented some protective measures to improve IAQ, prioritizing ventilation and filtration to reduce the transmission of the virus. The most frequently cited challenges to implementing protective IAQ measures at schools were (1) outdating building infrastructure hindering the application of IAQ measures and technologies and (2) high costs.

To read the full report, visit https://www.usgbc.org/resources/preparation-pandemic-how-schools-implemented-air-quality-measures-protect-occupants-covid.