Field measurements of indoor air in one Norwegian School

Surveys conducted in Norwegian schools showed students have experienced health problems, such as headaches or concentration issues which have been linked to indoor air quality (IAQ). Since no standard assessment method/protocol for IAQ exists, the assessment of IAQ by measurements will be influenced by type of monitoring device and its placement. The aim of this study is to evaluate the condition of indoor air parameter in school buildings. This work was conducted by investigating the influence of specification and placement of measurement devices of IAQ in a primary school building in Oslo City, as part of a broader investigation to identify potential measures to improve IAQ. Field measurements were done using both additional sensors, and existing sensors by the building energy management system. Different sensors were installed in classrooms in the school at slightly different locations. Measurement results of carbon dioxide and temperature were compared and evaluated in three different classrooms in the school. The result indicates that some classroom in the school may slightly not have a satisfactory IAQ. The comparison analysis suggests that room occupancy and sensor placement and specification influence the measurement results, and may thus negatively influence decisions made to ventilation system on the basis of the data from existing measurement. Further investigation is needed to understand the reliability of existing sensors to evaluate the IAQ of school buildings.