Kindergarten physical setting guidelines: A review from indoor air quality perspectives

Abstract

The kindergarten’s indoor air contained a number of pollutants, including total volatile organic compounds, particulate matter, carbon monoxide and insufficient ventilation with high carbon dioxide levels, which exceeded the indoor air quality (IAQ) guideline. The presence of these pollutants is caused by various factors including inappropriate physical setting. Indisputably, authorities throughout the countries provide guidelines for designing kindergartens' spaces, however it is limited to general explanations and only guided by early education compliance. It is vital to determine which kindergarten regulations may contribute to poor IAQ. This paper explores national kindergarten physical setting guidelines and how it affects IAQ. A document analysis method was used to determine the characteristics and differences between kindergarten guidelines. Firstly, the composition of each kindergarten guideline was itemised. Then, the study was conducted by making comparisons of the identified items. All the criteria were further reviewed from IAQ perspectives. This study was conducted on guidelines in Australia, Canada, the United States, Singapore and Malaysia. There are five physical setting requirements that influence IAQ : minimum indoor space required per child, sleep area, kitchen and food preparation area, ventilation requirements and furniture and finishes. All activities happen in this microenvironment contribute to IAQ, which is also affected by the ventilation system, furniture and finishes selection. It can be concluded that there is still room for improvement in existing guidelines by taking into account the indoor air perspective. Aside from the main function of kindergarten to provide education, the physical setting of kindergarten also plays a significant role in the growth and health of chidren.