DUBAI, UAE, 10 June 2024: Johnson Controls (JCI) and Emirates Green Building Council (EmiratesGBC) shared key insights from a study to analyse Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) across educational institutes in the country. Making the announcement through a Press Release, JCI said the study aims to raise awareness of the main air pollutants and their sources, and promote guidelines to ensure healthier spaces for students.

Mohammad Khalid, Vice President & General Manager, MEA, JCI, said: “As societies and governments increasingly recognize the pressing need to address and enhance the health and well-being of individuals within buildings and enclosed spaces, the significance of Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) has reached unprecedented heights.”

Rohan Chopra, Sales Director, Sustainable Infrastructure, EMEALA, JCI, said: “Measurement and data are the foundation of every effective clean air strategy and strive to ensure that organizations can map their journey toward a healthier and more sustainable future.”

Khaled Bushnaq, Chairman, EmiratesGBC, said: “The Emirates Green Building Council, through the Emirates Coalition for Green Schools, is dedicated to elevating the environmental standards of schools in the UAE. Our visionary goal is to transform every school into a green haven, ensuring that every child in the UAE receives education in a sustainable environment within this generation.”

According to the EmiratesGBC, a particular focus lies on IAQ, an aspect crucial to student health, well-being and academic performance, JCI said in the Press Release. The Council has conducted comprehensive studies on IAQ, recognising its direct correlation with the holistic development of students, JCI said.

According to recent findings from the survey, initiated by EmiratesGBC, IAQ emerged as the primary area of concern among parents and communities across the Emirates, JCI said. As a result, JCI said, it teamed up with EmiratesGBC to conduct the study using JCI’s IAQ audit service. JCI said it installed six IAQ devices in each classroom in selected institutes to measure temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and particulate matter (PM2.5) for a set period of time.

According to JCI, some of the key findings from the initial analysis reveals that:

• Due to higher outdoor PM levels, as anticipated, PM levels were consistently high in 60% of the institutes, where PM 2.5 levels (typically associated with fuel burning, combustion processes and vehicle emissions) were greater than 12 µg/m3 for more than 50% of the time. 
• Twenty-five per cent of the institutes are operating at less than 25% of the industry recommended outside air ventilation rates, signalling increased CO2 levels and the need to increase fresh air intake.
• A positive sign for institutes’ growing focus on IAQ, it was observed that newer schools perform better in terms of PM and CO2 levels. 
• All institutes exhibited low to normal VOC concentration; 90% showed relative humidity within comfort levels, while 82% showed temperature within comfort levels.

JCI said that along with EmiratesGBC it is outlining a number of recommendations to implement building technology that aids educational institutions in improving IAQ, including identifying means to add outside air ventilation to classrooms, upgrading the level of filtration using higher efficiency filters, and testing and balancing to ensure proper ventilation rates. JCI said EGBC will be launching a study summary during the EGBC Congress, taking place this month.