Effects of surrounding environment and student activity on the concentration of particulate matter in elementary school classrooms in South Korea

Abstract

In this study, the concentrations of indoor and outdoor particulate matter (PM10, PM2.5) in classrooms of twenty elementary schools in South Korea were measured and compared. The correlation between the indoor and outdoor PM was analyzed according to the surrounding environment, such as traffic, agricultural, and residential areas. The PM ratio and I/O ratio were analyzed to estimate the emission source of indoor PM. Also, the effects of student activity on indoor PM concentration were examined. As a result, the concentration of PM10 increased rapidly during break time and lunchtime, according to the school time schedule. The correlation analysis of indoor and outdoor PM measured from twenty elementary schools confirmed that the correlation of PM10 was lower than that of PM2.5 in every surrounding environment. However, there was no significant difference between surrounding environments. The mean I/O ratio of PM10 and PM2.5 was 1.01 ± 0.27 and 0.89 ± 0.29 (mean ± SD), respectively. These results are expected to help manage and evaluate the indoor air quality of vulnerable facilities, such as elementary schools, in the future.