There is often a musty smell in the classrooms at school. This is caused by poor ventilation. If the air ‘stands still’, it will become stale. In addition, the students themselves also bring all kinds of smells from sweat (after the gym) but also from clothing that has become wet from the rain. When classrooms are overcrowded, there is a greater chance of ‘bad smells’ that can pollute the indoor air.
During the corona pandemic, the poor air quality in the school buildings caused a lot of uncertainty among school staff, students and parents. This included fear of spreading the virus in the (practice) rooms, teachers’ rooms and meeting rooms. In addition to viruses and bacteria, unpleasant odors and particulate matter also contribute to poor and unhealthy air quality.
Because the ventilation installation in many schools is not sufficient, in practice this means that windows and doors are opened. Due to the outside temperature, a lot of cold or warm air comes in. In addition, other types of air pollution such as particulate matter, soot particles and pollen also enter the room. This has a detrimental effect on the students and teachers in the room.