Indoor Air Quality: A Growing Risk for School -- But One That Can be Tackled

Dangerous particles can threaten student health, but one school's experience shows how to minimize the risk

With poor indoor air quality (IAQ) linked to serious respiratory conditions and other health risks, it's little wonder that parents and educators are worried about the air in educational institutions. Each day, a significant portion of the U.S. population -- more than 50 million children and adults -- spends many hours inside a school building. When exposed to potentially harmful airborne particles, including dust, fungi, spores, and bacteria, their risk of asthma and other diseases increases. Many of these particles are particularly troublesome because of their small size -- and the inability of traditional air filters to efficiently and effectively remove them from the air.

The good news is that a new generation of high performance air filters can do a better job trapping and removing these dangerous particles. High efficiency air filters from Camfil -- the world's leading provider of clean air solutions -- leverage innovative designs to provide cleaner, healthier air than 'old-school' filters, while lasting longer, requiring less energy to run, and resulting in lower disposal and maintenance costs over their lifespan. Schools need to be strategic in their use of these filters, however, since different areas within a building pose greater risks -- and present greater challenges -- than others.  Laboratories, for instance, are likely to have more harmful particles in the air than ordinary classrooms, so they require more potent solutions. For more information on how poor indoor air quality impact school and how next-generation air filters can help keep the air clean -- and the risks low -- visit http://airfilters.camfil.us/improving-indoor-air-quality-in-schools_11718.html.

For one educational institution, the switch to high efficiency air filters has already proven a double win -- improving IAQ while lowering overall costs. Indeed, Ontario's Sault College was recently awarded the prestigious "5-Star Energy Award" from Camfil USA for its commitment to saving energy while providing quality indoor air. The school, which operates hundreds of air handling units, had been finding that traditional solutions resulted in high operating costs -- due to their rapid degradation in quality and need for replacement. Using Camfil's Life Cycle Cost (LCC) analysis -- which considers the cost of filter purchases, change-outs, energy use, and disposal -- Sault College discovered that it could achieve significant savings by switching to high efficiency Camfil Hi-Flo ES air filters, which feature fine fiber media instead of the more conventional, and less effective, coarse fiber material. In all, the school was able to reduce its annual air filter costs by $500,000 and its annual energy costs by more than $1 million. And because the filters did a better job removing harmful particles, air quality was improved, as well. To learn more about how Sault College boosted its air quality -- and its savings -- visit http://airfilters.camfil.us/energy-efficient-air-filters-college_11626.html.

The world leader in air filtration systems, Camfil provides clean air solutions for hospitals, hotels, office buildings, educational institutions, and pharmaceutical and biotech companies.  We provide the tools to achieve sustainability, maintain high air quality, and reduce airborne infections -- all while lowering total cost of ownership.  Camfil customers go green without ever sacrificing performance.  For more information, visit us online at or call us toll-free at 888.599.6620.