A study conducted by Dr. Dejan Mumovic, lecturer in environmental design and engineering at the Barlett University in England, schools constructed under the building schools for the future (BSF) initiative have been found to have very poor ventilation and increased "air tightness." This has caused a build up of CO2 in classrooms making students feel sleepy and hence affecting their learning performance.In his study, Mumovic compared ten schools built 50 years ago to the same number of schools built under the BSF program in the last 5 years and found that in terms of the ventilation rates and IAQ, nothing has changed. This has stemmed from the government's rush to implement the BSF program, which seeks to have all new schools at zero-carbon by 2016, and has led to increased focus on heat loss and natural ventilation rather than carbon levels for which the program was originally intended.
Prof. Derek Clements-Croome of Reading University tested students from the 1o schools and found increased levels of CO2 in the blood stream and brain which can cause increased drowsiness and decrease learning performance.
I don't know if there are just more CO2 tests being done in the UK or that there have higher levels there than in the United States, but i seem to hear way more about high carbon levels in buildings in England. All in all, these are very important tests and can only help improve the IAQ and general user experience.
For more info, check www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23605389-details/Children+'falling+asleep+in+stuffy+eco-classrooms'/article.do
Image obtained from InMagine
1 comment:
Maybe you are right, these test of CO2 should be done more often in the US. Who knows maybe that is the problem with all these new attention deficit ailments on kids. If the learning environment lacks fresh air and natural lighting how can we expect our kids to bring good grades home?
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