InAirQ

Transnational Adaption Actions for Integrated Indoor Air Quality Management

InAirQ Project aimed to assess the health risk of indoor air pollutants on a vulnerable population (i.e. children between age 6 and 14) and to take actions to improve the indoor environment in school buildings in Central Europe.

National vulnerability assessments and SWOT analysis have been compiled to assess and explore the actual risks related to indoor air quality (IAQ) in school buildings. The IAQ has been investigated in 64 school buildings selected in 5 countries (Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, Poland and Slovenia). The Virtual Health Repository has been developed in the frame of the InAirQ project to provide health relevant information on IAQ to decision makers.
Based on the results of the monitoring campaign, National Action Plans have bee elaborated, tested and implemented, striving to improve children’s health through change in the indoor environment. Capacity-building courses were organized to the school manager and local/regional school operating bodies for the best implementation of the action plans while the transnational Environment Quality Forum provided the follow up of the project results and sustain the co-operation with the potential stakeholders.  
 

FINAL RESULTS AND LESSON LEARNT

The primary objective of the InAirQ project was to improve the indoor air quality (IAQ) in school buildings in the Central European region by integrated problem-solving approaches. 

Main activities carried out and results achieved are listed here:

• Existing knowledge on factors which determine the IAQ in school buildings was collected in a harmonized way in all participating countries (National vulnerability assessments) and compared in order to identify current issues in the region and to take actions to overcome them (SWOT analysis); 
• New data on IAQ was produced during the InAirQ monitoring campaign in which 64 primary school buildings were investigated in the 5 countries. Based on the results of the monitoring campaign, the health risk attributable to indoor air pollution could be determined for each school building by using the Indoor Health Index developed in the project. The results of the monitoring campaign for all 64 school buildings have been uploaded to the Virtual Health Repository which is an online platform available for all stakeholders and interested parties. At present, there is no consensus on how to regulate IAQ worldwide.
• A joint transnational strategy for IAQ action plans was elaborated to provide support for the partners to develop the national IAQ action plans (below in document section). The joint strategy was adopted by 5 regional and national institutions, one in each country, to support the elaboration of national policies. Good examples and best practices on IAQ improvement and health promotion were collected during two benchmark visits.
• Different practical actions were developed and tested to improve IAQ in school buildings. Three successful attempts for IAQ improvement were carried out in the frame of intervention studies (e.g., application of air cleaner, introduction of good cleaning and ventilation practices, real-time monitoring of IAQ in the classroom).
• In addition, 3 feasibility studies were prepared in which the effect of potential technical improvements in the pilot partner schools were discussed.
• Several awareness campaigns on IAQ were performed in all participating countries to inform different stakeholder groups to have a deeper understanding on IAQ. A series of communication tools was applied. Different communication materials (e.g. poster on actions to improve indoor air quality in classrooms) were produced and sent to the primary schools. Awareness raising was performed by the partners through TV and radio interviews (16) and Social Media (Facebook mainly). Presentations at different national and international conferences and other events were given to raise awareness among general public, health experts, architects and decision makers (42 events).
• The InAirQ project partners organised 2 international conferences during the three years. The one in the end of the project in 2019 was very partecipatory (200 people attended it)
• Environment Quality Forums and TRANSNATIONAL ENVIRONMENT QUALITY FORUM were also regularly organized in all partner cities with the different stakeholders (5 EQFs each country). Some scientific articles have been published in order to disseminate some results among the scientific community (5 articles). The training materials were adopted in each country and two 1-day-long capacity building courses were organized by the project partners. In total, 224 people were trained within the framework of the InAirQ project. 
•  During the lifetime of the project some relevant target groups were reached by InAirQ project activities: Local Public Authorities (13), Regional Public Authorities (9), National Public Authorities (16), Education centres/schools (>100), Interested groups/NGOs (7). 
  
  

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