Methods for monitoring indoor air quality in schools (2011)

Report of a meeting held in Bonn, Germany, 4-5 April 2011

Abstract

A WHO consultation in November 2010 selected a set of environmental health indicators for monitoring the implementation of time bound commitments to reduce health effects of environmental hazards in children that were adopted by Member States at the Fifth Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health in Parma (2010). New indicators addressing exposure to selected indoor air pollutants in the school environment, moulds and dampness in school buildings, and insufficient ventilation in classrooms will require new data collection in Member States. This technical meeting co-sponsored by WHO and the Joint Research Centre of European Commission defined methodological approaches for national surveys in schools, set schedule for further methodology development, pilot testing and preparation of guidelines.