(MENAFN- The Peninsula) QNA
Doha: The Ministry of Public Health, in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education and the Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC), organised a workshop on the results and recommendations of the study of indoor air quality in primary schools in 2018, which was prepared by the Ministry from February to April, as part of its keenness to promote the concept of indoor air quality and improve it in educational institutions, reflecting improvement of the health of students and their academic performance and provide a healthy environment free of harmful pollutants.
The study aimed at assessing the current state of air quality in these schools and comparing them with the permitted world standards as a third phase of the assessment of air quality in educational buildings, previously evaluated in private schools and local kindergartens.
The study has two parts: 1- Measuring the degree of some indoor and outdoor air pollutants (carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, microparticles, formaldehyde, etc.), as well as measuring the factors of thermal comfort (temperature and humidity) as a measure of ventilation quality in the classroom. 2- Conducting field inspections to identify sources of indoor air pollution in the educational building and inspection of central ventilation systems.
The Director of Food Safety and Environmental Health at the Ministry of Public Health, Wasan Abdullah Al Baker, said that the indoor air quality has become a critical factor in judging the quality of public health, especially in relation to the indoor environment, adding air quality is directly related to public health, and is especially serious when the internal environment is related to the children in educational institutions, pointing out that any increase in the level of pollutants in the indoor air in schools affect the health of students and the level of their academic performance.
The Supervisor of air quality unit at the Ministry of Public Health, Tamer Nada, gave a presentation on the main indoor air pollutants and their sources, their health impact, management and improvement of indoor air quality, as well as an explanation of the HVAC system and its components in the schools.
The Supervisor of health inspection at the Ministry of Public Health, Fatima Al Atoum, reviewed the results of the study with the suggested recommendations for improving air quality.
Health Inspector Maryam Al Shamlan talked about insecticide as an internal source of air pollution, the negative effects of insecticide on health, and some natural ways of controlling insects.
Another Health Inspector Abeer Shams made a presentation on the optimal management of art materials, air fresheners, the health effects of exposure, how to protect students from being affected by these sources, their relationship to indoor air quality, and the management of detergents to improve indoor air quality.
Health Inspector Fidha Al Ali spoke about cleaning materials, their relationship to indoor air pollution, the health effects of frequent use, and recommendations to protect the health of students.
According to the WHO, exposure to polluted air in indoor environments results in more than 3.8 million premature deaths worldwide each year from diseases such as stroke, heart disease, infertility, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer. Particles inhaled through contaminated air indoor environments in more than 50 percent of deaths of children under five years of age due to acute pneumonia.
MENAFN2012201800630000ID1097858867
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.