ESTIMATION OF LEVELS OF (RN222, VOCS, CO2) IN THE AIR OF PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN BASRA GOVERNORATE, IRAQ

The aim of this study is to evaluate the levels of Radon-222, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), Carbon Dioxide (CO2) in the air of Primary Schools in Basra Governorate, Iraq.The overall mean concentration of Rn-222 in all the schools was 18.6018 2.537 Bq/m, ranging from 50.7143 Bq/m to as low as 6 Bq/m Bq/m.This value was below the safety limit of 100 Bq/m established by international health authorities, which suggests that the levels of Rn-222 in the majority of the schools were not dangerous.A listen to me, VOCs (which include chemicals such as benzene, toluene and formaldehyde) were present in varying amounts in the schools.Average VOC concentration was 322.0721 34.795 (ppb) Maximum concentration was 590.06 (ppb) in some classes, mainly in poorly ventilated rooms.CO2 values were used as ventilation effectiveness.Average CO2 concentration value inside the classrooms was 728.4949 81.855 and the concentration could reach up to 1446.36 ppm in some poorly-ventilated classrooms.**parts per million anything above a 1000 pats per million would be considered an indoor air quality issue with the potential to impact student performance and health based on world-wide air quality standards.Investigation indicates that the indoor air quality (IAQ) in the primary schools in Basra was generally within an acceptable level for Rn-222.However, some schools had excessive levels of VOCs and CO2, namely, classrooms with low ventilation rates and poor air exchange.Such 'high' levels could also result in discomfort experienced by students, decreased cognitive performance and long-term health impact.The results imply that better ventilation schemes in primary schools are needed to lower outdoor air VOC and CO2 concentrations for the health of students.