Natural ventilation and air quality in classrooms: systematic literature review

• Autor(a) principal: Silva, Saulo Vieira de Oliveira
• Data de Publicação: 2022
• Outros Autores: Pagel, Érica Coelho, Bastos, Leopoldo Eurico Gonçalves, Marconsini , Cynthia
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: PARC (Campinas)
• Texto Completo: https://periodicos.sbu.unicamp.br/ojs/index.php/parc/article/view/8666284
• topic: Qualidade do ar interior; Ventilação natural; QAI; CO2; Salas de aula; Indoor air quality; IAQ; Natural ventilation; CO2; Classrooms

Indoor spaces are inherent to human beings who tend to spend most of their time in these places. So, classrooms have been the target of growing scientific concern, especially when subject to low ventilation rates. Carbon dioxide is traditionally considered an indicator of indoor air quality (IAQ). Unfortunately, there is a high concentration of this gas in the classroom environment, related to decreased cognition and reduced student performance. Thus, this study aims to carry out a literature review, focusing on articles dealing with CO2 levels and IAQ in classrooms with natural ventilation. The methodology adopted was the Systematic Literature Review. A selection of articles was performed on the Capes Journal Portal and ScienceDirect database, which resulted in the inclusion and analysis of 34 papers. As a result, we observed that classrooms often operate with average concentrations of CO2 above 1000 ppm and a significant peak-average relationship, which indicates the low efficiency of the air renewal. The analyzed works pointed out that users' action, through subjective judgment and adaptive behaviour, influences CO2 levels. Moreover, opening windows and doors during class breaks is not enough to maintain the recommended air quality. This theme gained relevance due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, highlighting the need for adequate strategies for the dispersion of contaminants.