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In recent years, scientists and health care professionals have focused more attention on the effects of poor indoor quality in a variety of settings. Two recent studies have turned the spotlight on an area that historically has been rife with germs, viruses and bad air: daycare centers.

Because daycare centers cater to children from infants to toddlers to pre-school-aged children, the chances of passing along germs and bacteria are relatively high.

The Finnish Study

So researchers in the city of Espoo, Finland—part of the metropolitan Helsinki area—looked at a random sample of 30 daycare centers to determine overall indoor air quality, gauging humidity, CO2 concentrations, temperature, airflow and other metrics.

In recent years, scientists and health care professionals have focused more attention on the effects of poor indoor quality in a variety of settings; two recent studies have turned the spotlight on an area that historically has been rife with germs, viruses and bad air: daycare centers.

If the air quality was already compromised, it would be made worse with the introduction of germs, viruses and bacteria. They took air samples during a one-day period and found air quality across the board was poor.

  • CO2 levels were charted beyond safe limits.
  • Older buildings not using newer HVAC systems experienced the worst levels.
  • Airflow was inadequate and temperature and humidity levels varied.

Children and staff were not well served, and air quality levels needed significant improvement. Surveys conducted with staff members cited unpleasant odors as the most prevalent perceptual problem.

The South Korean Study

But the bad air in childcare facilities is not isolated to Finland. A similar study was conducted by researchers in Seoul, Korea, where measurements were taken at 25 daycare centers. The researchers found high levels of the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene and styrene in the air. Their findings also showed significant levels of bacteria and mold, which was prevalent because of water damage to older centers and buildings. The study concluded that much more needed to be done to ensure healthier environments for children with still developing respiratory systems.

But what to do?

One answer lies in actually cleaning the air. AeraMax Professional air purifiers have been proven to effectively and efficiently remove contaminants from indoor air. Using a True HEPA hospital-type filtration system, AeraMax can rid the air of bacteria, VOCs, viruses, odors, germs and other irritants. It removes up to 99.97 percent of these pollutants from indoor air, sensing when the air needs to be clean automatically.

To see how AeraMax Professional helped childcare centers and nurseries, check out our case studies. Daycare facilities from France to Canada trust AeraMax Professional to make their facilities cleaner and healthier.

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Making the air cleaner in classrooms provides numerous benefits, including reduced absenteeism, increased productivity, more suitable environments for students with allergies and asthma and, perhaps most importantly, limiting the spread of the influenza virus.

Minimizing the harmful effects of flu season is particularly important in schools, as preventing the virus from spreading can reduce sick days, so students aren’t missing out on valuable classroom time. Currently, the flu alone is responsible for 38 million missed days of school – that’s not to mention the additional 22 million missed days caused by the common cold.

A wide range of research has correlated absenteeism to reduced academic performance. Despite the fact that the flu is a significant contributor to absences, flu cases have not declined in 12 years, even though prevention efforts have increased. This is partially because the efficacy of the flu vaccine varies from year to year, but also likely has to do with a lack of education about how the virus spreads and reliance on traditional prevention methods.

“Washing hands really is wonderful for preventing many diseases, such as the common cold, but it’s not very helpful to prevent influenza,” Arthur Reingold, Professor of Epidemiology at the University of California-Berkeley, told CNN. “Everyone’s eager to promote hand washing, and certainly it won’t do any harm, but to rely on hand washing as a way to prevent influenza is a serious mistake.”

As researchers learn more about airborne flu transmission, it becomes increasingly apparent that air filtration is integral to advancing prevention methods.

Creating cleaner classrooms

Commercial-grade air purifiers are specifically designed for common areas, which in schools can include classrooms, labs, locker rooms and washrooms. These units not only make the air cleaner, but also provide a targeted complement to HVAC systems. Independent research has found that AeraMax Professional effectively removes 99.9 percent of airborne influenza particles in as little as 35 minutes.

To learn more about flu prevention, download AeraMax Professional’s special report highlighting the dramatic costs of flu season.

 

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