Effectiveness of enhanced filtration interventions for improving indoor air quality in child-serving facilities.

Indoor air quality (IAQ) in schools and other child-serving facilities is crucial for the health and development of children, a large and vulnerable population. Interventions to improve IAQ, e.g., enhancing HVAC system filtration and deploying portable air cleaners (PACs), are especially needed at facilities located in polluted areas. Evidence of the actual effectiveness of these interventions, however, is limited and the reported performance is inconsistent. The objectives of this study, a component of a larger community-based participatory research partnership, were to evaluate the effectiveness of, and factors influencing, interventions using enhanced filtration; compare standard school buildings with other child-serving facilities such as nurseries, community centers, and childcare houses; and to identify IAQ improvement challenges and suggest relatively low-cost and effective mitigation methods. We evaluated 33 spaces in 12 facilities that served children from daycare through high school ages. Week-long baseline and follow-up measurements and teacher/staff surveys were obtained before and after the filter interventions. In most facilities, thermal comfort was acceptable, but ventilation rates were low (air change rates from 0.9-1.4 h