Would removing indoor air particulates in children’s environments reduce rate of absenteeism — A hypothesis

• Published in: The Science of the total environment Vol. 234; no. 1; pp. 87 - 93
• Main Authors: Rosén, Karl G, Richardson, George
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier B.V 30-08-1999; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Absenteeism; Air Conditioning - methods; Air Ionization; Air pollution; Air Pollution, Indoor - adverse effects; Air Pollution, Indoor - prevention & control; Air. Soil. Water. Waste. Feeding; Applied sciences; Atmospheric pollution; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Child Day Care Centers; Child, Preschool; Children; Day care centres; Environment. Living conditions; Exact sciences and technology; Humans; Indoor air quality; Indoor pollution and occupational exposure; Infant; Medical sciences; Models, Biological; Particle Size; Pollution; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Static Electricity; Sweden; Sweden; Europe; Air pollution; Absenteeism; Children; Indoor air quality; Day care centres; Human; Day care center; Electrostatic filter; Air quality; Impact study; Air cleaning systems; Suspended particle; Aerosols; Indoor pollution; Free electron; Child; Public health
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/S0048-9697(99)00266-1

To conduct a controlled trial to test the ability of a newly developed electrostatic air cleaning technology (EAC) to improve Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) as defined by levels of airborne particles and to investigate the potential to reduce non-attendance rates due to illness among children in two Swedish day care centres. The EAC technology was shown to significantly reduce the indoor particulate load for very fine particles caused by outdoor air pollution by 78% and to reduce the number of fine particles produced indoors by 45%. To test the hypothesis, non-attendance was followed in two centres during 3 years. The EAC technology was in operation during year 2. Non-attendance rates among children in the larger day-care centre decreased by 55%, equalling those levels noted in family-based day care. It is speculated that the air cleaning effect may be due to alterations in electrostatic forces operating within the room enabling fine particulate matter to more easily become and stay airborne. The EAC technology is cost-efficient and might be a way forward to improve IAQ.