Improving Indoor Air Quality in Schools: the LEARN Project Approach

Poor indoor air quality in schools poses a significant threat to children’s health and cognitive development. With air pollution being a major contributor to millions of deaths annually, it is crucial to address indoor air quality issues, particularly concerning volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and ultrafine particles (UFPs). LEARN is a Horizon Europe project which aims to develop novel sensors to detect VOCs and UFPs, providing real-time monitoring of indoor air quality. LEARN measures and characterizes indoor and outdoor air pollutants and evaluates the presence of biomarkers of exposure and their effect on children’s cognition, while also trying to recapitulate those effects using C. elegans as a biosensor. Additionally, advanced in vitro models of lung and skin will be utilized to assess the toxicity mechanisms of air pollutants. LEARN will generate evidence of indoor air quality in schools, including both chemical and microbiological determinants, across different parts of Europe. Three pilot studies will be conducted at schools in Belgium, Denmark and Greece. By evaluating exposure levels and implementing remediation strategies using high-performance filtering systems, this research seeks to unlock a large technological potential to significantly improve indoor air quality in schools. Key words: Environment; Air Quality; Indoor Air Quality; Health; Impact; Monitoring; Schools; E