ePO 105 – Predictive modelling of indoor environmental quality for enhanced cognitive performance
Soraia Ferreira Neves1, João Mário Miranda1, Maria do Carmo Pereira2, Klara Slezakova2
1 CEFT, ALiCE, Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto, 2 LEPABE, ALiCE, Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto
Current data indicate that both poor indoor air quality (IAQ) and unsatisfactory thermal comfort adversely affect students’ cognitive performance, absenteeism, and overall academic performance. However, much of the existing cognitive research has relied on CO2 levels as a proxy for overall IAQ, providing limited insight into the effects of other pollutants (such as volatile organic compounds–VOCs, particulate matter–PM, etc.) and/or environmental factors. These gaps and potential interactions among multiple environmental parameters must be further addressed. The complex situation is further intensified by insufficient funding, as economic considerations often dictate whether school building renovations are pursued, and the broader socioeconomic benefits of improved indoor environments are rarely accounted for. However, the available evidence suggests that long-term indirect benefits (including better academic performance, reduced absenteeism, and lower healthcare costs), could exceed the direct cost required for school renovations.
IQ-SCHOOLS project aims to address critical gaps in research on the impacts of indoor environmental quality in schools, focusing on understanding and mitigating the associated risks and their effects on cognitive performance among students.
The ongoing study encompasses a population of 300–600 students (aged 10–12 years) at 4–6 schools (2nd cycle; i.e., 5–6th grade), linking exposure to air pollutants – particulate matter PM10, PM2.5, PM1, total VOCs, CO2, CO, NO2) and environmental parameters, with individual data on students’ cognitive performance, and detailed characteristics of the built environment.
Given the financial constraints in public school infrastructure management, an economic framework will evaluate the trade-offs between IAQ intervention costs and long-term benefits in terms of student health and learning outcomes.
This work was financed through IQSCHOOLS (2024.15302.PEX from FCT-PT.