Classroom crisis: Students breathe toxic air - health threatened!

Classroom crisis: Students breathe toxic air - health threatened!

Österreich - Air quality in Austria's schools ensures increasing concern. A current study by the Technical University of Graz, carried out on behalf of the Ministry of Education, shows alarming CO₂ values in Styrian classrooms. In almost every second room examined, values of over 2000 ppm were measured, with extreme values of up to 2800 ppm, which is far above the recommended limit of 1000 ppm. The pupils spend many hours in these stuffy rooms, which can not only be reduces concentration, but can also be harmful to health in the long term, so reports Exxpress.at .

The awareness of the problem of ventilation is present in everyday school life, but the structural conditions and the lack of modern fresh air systems lead to a dangerous traffic jam of CO₂ and aerosols. The health consequences are serious: fatigue, headache and limited performance are just a few of the symptoms caused by poor air quality. Claims for technical solutions such as modern ventilation systems are loud, but there is a lack of budget and political determination to counteract these challenges.

health effects

Studies show that over 75% of the Austrian classrooms exceed CO₂ guidelines. In winter, the proportion is even more worrying: 88% of the classrooms exceed the limit values. In extreme cases, CO₂ values of over 6,900 ppm have been documented, which is almost seven times the recommended value. The poor air quality affects the concentration of the pupils and increases the risk of respiratory infections, as the survey also .

Regular ventilation can both reduce the CO₂ values and reduce the risk of infection. However, many schools do not reach the minimum air volume flows of 4 liters per second and person specified by the EU and Austria. In a quarter of the classrooms examined, this minimum value is just achieved, which means that many students receive less than 40% of the recommended fresh air.

political reactions and solutions

The political reactions to this critical situation have so far been sluggish. Both students and teachers have to teach under difficult conditions, which endangers the health of an entire generation. The use of CO₂ sensors has proven to be helpful; In half of the classrooms examined, such sensors are installed that submit warning signals for crossing limit value. The accelerated introduction of mechanical ventilation systems could also achieve a significant improvement in air quality, especially at outside temperatures below 16 ° C.

Air quality in schools is not only a national concern, but also a European. Although air quality in Germany and Europe has improved in recent decades, the current EU limit values for air pollutants are not yet sufficient to avoid health risks completely Environmental Bundesamt.de .

summarized the topic of air quality in schools must be addressed in order to ensure both the well -being and the learning success of the students. The demands for contemporary ventilation systems and improvements in the structural situation are becoming increasingly loud, and it remains to be seen whether the political responsible will take the necessary steps.

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