SPONSOR CPD PROGRAMME Continuing professional development (CPD) is the regular maintenance, improvement and broadening of your knowledge and skills, to maintain professional competence. It is a requirement of CIBSE and other professional bodies. This Journal CPD programme can be used to meet your CPD requirements. Study the module and answer the questions on Improving air quality for education completed module is equivalent to 1.5 hours of CPD. Modules are also available at www.cibsejournal.com/cpd This module explores the drivers for good-quality ventilation in schools and other education facilities One of the many areas that has excited popular interest as a result of concerns raised around internal air quality during the Covid-19 pandemic is the importance of providing suitable ventilation for schools, colleges and universities. However, the need for appropriate ventilation has been a long-standing issue, and the justification goes far beyond diluting the potential presence of SARS-CoV-2 in the classroom. This article will focus specifically on the drivers for good-quality ventilation in schools although the messages are equally appropriate for all places of learning. Indoor environmental quality (IEQ) is dependent on an amalgam of factors, and when assessing strategies and options for ventilation it cannot be considered in isolation. CIBSE TM571 Integrated school design describes the four interrelated factors for successful environmental design of school buildings as daylight, thermal comfort, low and zero carbon energy, and ventilation. TM57 covers all these areas in some detail, and emphasises that building form and thermal mass underpin successful strategies for daylight, ventilation and energy. While recognising the interdependence of all the factors for a successful internal environment, this article will specifically consider ventilation. The cocktail of contaminants that make up the internal environment has been discussed frequently (including in the first section of CPD 180 in CIBSE Journal June 2021) with the key chemical contaminants (in Europe) being2 carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) formaldehyde, benzene and naphthalene. With potentially lesser significance, but highly dependent on exposure levels, are CO2, bacteria and viruses, particulate matter (PM2.5, PM1.0 and ultrafine particles) and, in some locations, gases such as radon. It is important to note that CO2, which has a concentration of just over 410ppm in outdoor air, is used both as a marker or proxy for estimating the actual ventilation rates in buildings, as well as being a potential contaminant that is being exhaled by occupants. This article relates to CO2 as a contaminant. CIBSE Technical Memorandum TM40 Health and wellbeing in building services notes that, in general, exposure to air pollutants can have both acute and chronic health effects, from mild to severe and occupants are unlikely to even be aware of the contaminants in the air that they are breathing. The likelihood and severity of the impact of contaminants on humans depends on age, any pre-existing medical conditions and individual sensitivity. In schools, there are often pollutants generated from the building and various materials used in the teaching spaces, together with local complications such as mould, asbestos and radon. A recent review paper produced by Swegon, Air quality and ventilation in schools,3 reiterates the much-voiced opinion that classroom ventilation rates are directly associated with students academic achievements,4 with a poor-quality indoor environment thought to cause discomfort, distract attention and reduce motivation. Much of the potential contamination in the teaching rooms can emanate from the space itself, but will be dependent on the situation. For example, the presence of materials that emit VOCs which can include adhesives, insulation, wall boards, furniture, carpets and fabrics have been widely implicated in www.cibsejournal.com December 2021 49 CIBSE Dec21 pp49-52 CPD 189.indd 49 26/11/2021 15:00