Indoor air quality (IAQ) evaluation of higher education learning environments

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ), particularly in educational facilities, is gaining considerable interest and is a synonymous indicator towards evaluating human comfort. Factors such as CO2 concentration, temperature, and humidity play crucial parts in determining an acceptable level of IAQ. Many studies have also demonstrated that the indoor air quality of classrooms affects students’ concentration and performance. Today with the threat of a global pandemic, the demand of clean & fresh indoor air quality in education buildings is extremely intensive. This study focuses on investigating IAQ situations and changes in different typical functional spaces of a higher education building in the UK. CO2, temperature, and humidity data in various learning environment were monitored via data loggers during the winter. Associated with data monitoring, a set of questionnaires surveys were carried out to evaluate the user’s experience. The results of this study show that temperature and CO2 concentration in the classrooms was constantly higher than the government guidance on a daily basis. The analysis also shows that temperature and humidity increased with CO2 levels, but at a much lower rate. This study has revealed poor and concerning IAQ in higher education buildings in the UK, particularly in larger rooms with high occupancy. Along with the findings, this paper also identifies possible impact or factors and proposes solutions to overcome these issues