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The landmark ImpAQS study examining ventilation and air quality in 1,200 Austrian schools reveals widespread failure to meet minimum standards, with at least 25% of classrooms unable to maintain acceptable CO2 levels during operational hours.

Professor Rob McLeod discusses how this comprehensive year-long study uncovered significant disparities in ventilation effectiveness between schools, creating an "air quality lottery" for students and teachers.
• Comprehensive monitoring of CO2, temperature, and humidity across all nine Austrian federal regions throughout the 2023-2024 school year
• Matched pair study comparing 600 classrooms with visible CO2 monitors against 600 control rooms with hidden sensors
• Only 10% of Austrian schools have mechanical ventilation systems, with most relying entirely on natural ventilation
• CO2 monitors dramatically improve ventilation behaviours, with over 90% of classrooms spontaneously appointing student "ventilation champions"
• Cultural resistance and misconceptions about ventilation creating barriers to proper air exchange
• Occupant density as a critical factor, with special schools providing 3+ square meters per student achieving superior air quality
• Outdoor air pollution near schools often exceeding WHO guidelines, complicating ventilation strategies
• Need for national-level intervention rather than leaving air quality challenges to individual schools
• Disparities between schools creating educational and health inequalities that require systematic triaging of solutions
Rob McLeod - LinkedIn
ImpAQS Report

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Chapters

1. Introduction to Air Quality in Schools (00:00:00)

2. Origins of the IMPAX Study (00:13:10)

3. Understanding Study Scale and Methodology (00:33:49)

4. Key Findings: Widespread Ventilation Failure (00:57:32)

5. CO2 Sensors and Behavioral Change (01:11:08)

6. Austrian School Buildings and Occupancy (01:32:37)

99 episodes