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Lack of good science hurts IEQ study

Building Operating Management, Mar 2003 by Kozlowksi, David

Green Building REPORT

An extensive review of research on indoor environmental quality (IEQ) in schools indicates that there's a connection between low ventilation rates and nitrogen oxides in the air and a negative impact on students' performance. Perhaps the reviews strongest conclusion, however, is that there just isn't enough good research yet on IEQ and student performance to form any solid conclusions. Mark Mendell, an epidemiologist with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and Garvin Heath, a researcher at the University of California at Berkeley, undertook the review at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's request and were quickly struck by the paucity of good data.

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"Basically there's not much science out there," Mendell says. "Much of what passes as studies comes from educational researchers, and those studies are not very good."

Many of the studies that Mendell and Heath looked at were not published in peer-reviewed journals or presented at conferences, two major criteria for the review. Most resembled dissertations and failed to account for any number of variables, the researchers noted.

The strongest studies looked at measured pollutants, Mendell says. These studies showed a direct connection to high amounts of nitrogen oxides and increased incidences of absenteeism. The high amounts of nitrogen oxides seem to be attributed to unvented heaters.

Low ventilation rates, which the researchers say might be a serious problem in schools across the country, were shown to affect student performance. The researchers used ASHRAE standards as their guide.

The review also found significant indirect evidence that links mold, moisture and microbiological activity to asthma and other respiratory diseases.

Less clear was the effect of volatile organic compounds (VOC) on performance. Four studies showed a relationship. Two were strong and two were weak. The two strong studies did not show a relationship between a cocktail of VOCs and performance; the two weak studies did.

Based on the weaknesses of the two studies, he says, no conclusion could be made on the impact of VOCs.

Even the results of temperature on performance are mixed, largely owing to personal responses to temperature, Mendell says.

The reviewers, which began narrowly focusing on schools, performance and IEQ, broadened their search to find a sufficient database to draw any conclusions. Studies weren't included if the sample size was too small and if only one parameter was considered while not accounting for other variables. After weeding out studies that didn't meet their criteria, the researchers rated the studies from strong to weak and only considered the strong studies. The literature review has not been published yet.

- David Kozlowski is senior editor with Building Operating Management

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Lack of good science hurts IEQ study

Building Operating Management, Mar 2003 by Kozlowksi, David

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