TY - JOUR
T1 - Characteristics of indoor air quality at urban elementary schools in Seoul, Korea
T2 - Assessment of effect of surrounding environments
AU - Yang, Jinho
AU - Nam, Insick
AU - Yun, Hyunjun
AU - Kim, Jinman
AU - Oh, Hyeon Ju
AU - Lee, Dohee
AU - Jeon, Si Moon
AU - Yoo, Seung Ho
AU - Sohn, Jong Ryeul
N1 - Funding Information:
This subject is supported by Korea Ministry of Environment as “The Environmental Health Action Program” and “Converging technology project”, by the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, and by Korea University.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2015 Turkish National Committee for Air Pollution Research and Control. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
PY - 2015
Y1 - 2015
N2 - The indoor environment of schools where children stay for long periods of time is a matter of primary concern due to the vulnerability and sensibility of children to air pollutant exposure. The aims of this study were to characterize the indoor air quality of elementary schools in Seoul, Korea, to compare the indoor levels according to the surrounding environments and year of remodeling. The air pollutants, including particle matter (PM10), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), total bacteria count (TBC), total volatile organic compounds (TVOC) and formaldehyde (HCHO), were sampled during autumn from classrooms and laboratories at 116 elementary schools employing natural ventilation. The schools were selected based on their surrounding environments: surrounded by buildings (SB), roadways (RW), and mountains (MT). The indoor air quality measured at elementary schools in Seoul, Korea showed generally low levels of pollutants due to low occupancy and adequate ventilation and the indoor levels of PM10 and TBC in schools near roadways were significantly lower than other surrounding environments due to dispersion of pollutants, without obstruction by buildings and mountains. TVOC and HCHO concentrations of schools remodeled within a year were significantly higher. Therefore, suitable management for school building characteristics is needed.
AB - The indoor environment of schools where children stay for long periods of time is a matter of primary concern due to the vulnerability and sensibility of children to air pollutant exposure. The aims of this study were to characterize the indoor air quality of elementary schools in Seoul, Korea, to compare the indoor levels according to the surrounding environments and year of remodeling. The air pollutants, including particle matter (PM10), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), total bacteria count (TBC), total volatile organic compounds (TVOC) and formaldehyde (HCHO), were sampled during autumn from classrooms and laboratories at 116 elementary schools employing natural ventilation. The schools were selected based on their surrounding environments: surrounded by buildings (SB), roadways (RW), and mountains (MT). The indoor air quality measured at elementary schools in Seoul, Korea showed generally low levels of pollutants due to low occupancy and adequate ventilation and the indoor levels of PM10 and TBC in schools near roadways were significantly lower than other surrounding environments due to dispersion of pollutants, without obstruction by buildings and mountains. TVOC and HCHO concentrations of schools remodeled within a year were significantly higher. Therefore, suitable management for school building characteristics is needed.
KW - Elementary school
KW - Indoor air quality
KW - Korea
KW - Surrounding environment
KW - Urban
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84954570864&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.apr.2015.06.009
DO - 10.1016/j.apr.2015.06.009
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84954570864
VL - 6
SP - 1113
EP - 1122
JO - Atmospheric Pollution Research
JF - Atmospheric Pollution Research
SN - 1309-1042
IS - 6
ER -
