Hayes County, Texas — In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Hayes CISD will install air purifiers in every room on all campuses.
Max Cleaver, chief operating officer of Hays CISD, said: "The pandemic is a bit like a catalyst, really making people think about [indoor air quality] more seriously."
The Hays CISD School Board approved a $4.4 million purchase of air purifiers in September 2021. Larger rooms require two units.
"We just came up with creative solutions to keep the children in the classroom," Cliff said.
Hays CISD has used 3,500 air filters, which are replaced 10 times a year. Unlike filters, the new type of purifier will not catch viruses.
The website of distributor WellAir shows that the purifier "is an airborne infection control device that can inactivate nebulized viruses, bacteria, mold spores and pollen in the respiratory area."
Cleaver said it takes about 30 minutes to purify all the air in an ordinary empty classroom.
"You know, layers of protection try to stay safe," Cleaver said.
Another method can help schools that cannot afford the price tag of purifiers and still improve indoor air quality.
"Usually, schools across the country are inadequately ventilated. This seems to be a typical problem. But I think it just shows that it is because they are not properly maintained," said indoor air quality researcher and PhD Sanjita Kumar . Candidate in the Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin.
Kumar focuses on ventilation research and collaborates with UT's research professor team.
Professor Dr. Atila Novoselac of the Department of Civil, Architecture and Environmental Engineering said: “We encourage energy conservation, but sometimes we do things wrong, such as reducing the ventilation rate.”
"We spend 90% of our time indoors. This is where you really get exposure. Of course, outdoor quality is important, but indoor air quality is very important considering dose exposure," Kerry Kinney, PhD, Professor of Engineering at LP Gilvin Centennial Say.
In 2019, Kumar completed a master's thesis in science and engineering under the assistance agreement granted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to UT, and studied the school's ventilation rate.
"I want to point out that we have to work very hard to find out the problems in the school. I mean, we are talking about ventilation. Of course, it can always be better," Kumar said.
She uses carbon dioxide data to track ventilation levels. Her observations linked ventilation to the absence of flu.
"Many models of the spread of airborne infectious diseases have now become a very relevant field. In fact, you can use this indicator [CO2] as a method to calculate your likelihood of being infected. From the perspective of airborne transmission, Diseases such as flu, measles, COVID," Kumar said.
Kumar pointed out some limitations in the study, including limited numbers of schools and uncontrollable factors, such as the way students interact outside the classroom.
She found that if the school increased ventilation by 20%, each student could save between $1.20 and $5.
Although energy consumption may increase, the virus will not spread so easily.
"During this period, energy costs are very low. The analysis is for the peak flu season, which is approximately December to March. So yes, the smallest increase in [ventilation] may have an impact," Kumar said.
Read the summary of Kumar's research here.
Researchers also found reductions in other pollutants, from formaldehyde to personal care products.
"They are looking for a balance between energy saving-which also helps to save the planet and save some money-and the ventilation rate of the classroom. They are always doing a balancing act," Kinney said.
"We are talking about how most schools have very complex air conditioning systems, including ventilation systems. Using some of these units, you have the ability to regulate the amount of fresh air entering a certain part of the school, a certain number of classrooms," Novoserak said .
"You can't just say,'Oh, open the damper to get fresh air.' Your system will drip because it is not designed for 100% outdoor air," Kinney said.
Now, researchers must consider wearing masks and maintaining social distancing. As of November 1, the trio is conducting more indoor air quality studies, including a study on UT.
"Usually on the UT campus, the large auditorium has its own mechanical system. There is a building on the campus, and the entire floor is full of classrooms. They are all on the same mechanical system. But usually, you will have your meeting room Share it with the office. So for each of these different configurations, its appearance may be different. We are trying to understand how much this affects it," Kumar said.
Researchers have more than six active projects, funded by American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), National Science Foundation's Comprehensive Graduate Education and Research Training (NSF-IGRT), UT and other donors and research awards .
The responsibility for complying with any indoor air quality standard lies with everyone.
Don't ask the government for help on indoor air quality. KVUE Defenders discovered that indoor air quality standards were not implemented.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), which is responsible for protecting workers’ safety, wrote to defenders: "OSHA has no regulations on indoor air quality. The agency does not regularly conduct IAQ [Indoor Air Quality] on buildings in Texas. quality inspection."
The Texas Commission for Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and the City of Austin only monitor outdoor air.
The Texas Department of Health Services once set up its own indoor air quality department for government buildings, but legislators spun it off in 2015.
The only agency in Texas that is still responsible for indoor air quality is the Office of State Risk Management (SORM). SORM provides best practice recommendations to Texas government agencies, but does not enforce them.
"It's completely voluntary," Cleaver said.
During the COVID-19 triangle wave, Tobias Elementary School in Hayes CISD was closed for three days.
"Will it help us cope with the pandemic? Yes, we believe so. But we are also looking forward to the long-term development of the next 10 or 20 years," said Tim Savoy, chief communications officer of Hayes CISD .
Savoy said that the school district does not allow masks to be required, nor does it allow rules for classroom learning and home learning. Savoy said that buying a purifier is their best choice.
"We don't need to do this, but we are not prohibited from doing it either," Savoy said.
"This is just to reassure some people and frankly make their air cleaner, do you know?" Cliff said.
UT researchers say that we can all take steps to improve indoor air quality in homes and workplaces.
"By using environmentally friendly, low-toxic detergents," Kinney said. "If you are going to use a vacuum cleaner, make sure it has a HEPA filter so you don't open it and spray dust from the back."
Novoselac said that replacing carpets with tiles can also improve indoor air quality, because pollutants are not trapped on the tiles like in carpets and then recirculated into the air.
In addition, the use of range hoods above the gas stove can reduce the nitrogen dioxide content in the home. EPA shows that nitrogen dioxide is associated with a variety of lung diseases, including asthma and other respiratory infections.
In a peer-reviewed study, a team from Kumar and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory found that California “a range hood that meets specifications may not be sufficient to maintain acceptable indoor air quality.” The team demonstrated an airflow rate of 200 cfm Of range hoods require 70% capture efficiency.
The report says: "If the user can operate the cooker hood for an additional 10 minutes after cooking, then a slight reduction in CE (capture efficiency) is acceptable."
The EPA lists more ways to improve indoor air quality, including web pages dedicated to indoor air and COVID-19.
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