Indoor Air Quality Problems Research Articles

How teacher behaviors and perceptions, air change rates, and portable air purifiers affect indoor air quality in naturally ventilated schools.

Many school buildings have inadequate ventilation, rudimentary if any air filtration, and aging and poorly maintained mechanical systems, all of which can lead to poor indoor air quality (IAQ). These issues are especially acute in environmental justice (EJ) communities where schools are located in polluted areas. This community-based participatory research examines how IAQ in naturally ventilated school buildings is affected by the use of air purifiers, air change rates, outdoor pollution levels, and teacher and staff behavior. IAQ assessments were performed at two schools in Detroit, Michigan, which included building walk-through inspections and continuous indoor and outdoor measurements of black carbon (BC), particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), carbon dioxide (CO2), air change rates (ACRs), temperature, humidity, and sound pressure levels. Air purifiers with usage monitors were then installed, and the IAQ assessments were repeated. Teachers were surveyed before and after purifier deployment. At baseline, classrooms had low ACRs (0.58-1.38 h-1), moderate PM2.5 levels (2.8-8.9 μg/m3), highly variable PM10 concentrations (4.7-37.5 μg/m3), and elevated BC levels (0.3-0.7 μg/m3), reflecting emissions from local traffic, industry and other sources. The installation and use of purifiers reduced pollutant levels and the overall performance matched the predictions of a single compartment model. However, daily reductions varied widely among classrooms, reflecting differences in teacher behavior regarding the frequency of opening windows and the operation of purifiers, including differences in purifier fan speed settings and whether purifiers were used at night. Survey responses indicated that many teachers were aware of IAQ problems. The higher rates reported for health symptoms and dissatisfaction at one school may have lowered the teachers' tolerance to noise and reduced purifier use. The study helps explain the variation reported in prior studies using purifiers, and it reinforces the need to monitor IAQ and purifier use, use enhanced filtration and increase ventilation, and engage with teachers and school staff to support and maintain IAQ programs in schools.

Review of peculiarities of using wind catchers in energy-saving ventilation systems

Natural ventilation plays an important role in ensuring comfortable living conditions. Wind catchers are part of this process and can provide the required ventilation rate for buildings. The performance of wind catchers depends on the relevant parameters, such as height, configuration, cross-sectional shape, number of inlets, speed of movement and variability of air movement direction. HVAC equipment is not only responsible for the largest portion of the total energy consumption within a building, but also for most indoor air quality problems. Vents, air ducts, and dirty filters are a suitable place for the growth of fungi and molds produced by organic dust, which contaminate the circulating air and cause significant pollution problems. This could be more critical given that we spend almost 90% of our time indoors during our lives and work. Improvements in ventilation and air conditioning systems therefore play an important role in increasing energy efficiency in buildings, providing a better indoor climate for occupants and, as a result, reducing the likelihood of health problems. The cooling process plays an important role in creating comfortable conditions for humans. One of the most well-known elements of a passive cooling system for buildings with no or minimal energy consumption is a wind catcher. The effective-ness of wind catchers is influenced by wind force and buoyancy, and knowledge of the size, shape, and position of the outlet will help to understand new ideas and technologies for their application in modern architecture. A well-known example of natural ventilation that improves indoor quality by reducing pollution and humidity by replacing stale air with fresh outside air is a wind catcher (or wind tower). Nowadays, wind catchers are widely used in the world, having advantages in densely populated urban areas and in areas with low wind speeds, significantly affecting the reduction of cooling loads and providing the required ventilation rate of buildings. At present, there are many types of wind traps that can be classified according to the number of inlets, cross-sectional shape, and number of levels. The number of internal partitions, as well as the size and location of the openings of the wind collector, significantly affect its ventilation characteristics, efficiency, air flow velocity and turbulence, and also divide the cross-section of the wind collector into smaller channels, increasing the strength of its structure and reducing sensitivity to different wind directions

SchoolAIR: A Citizen Science IoT Framework Using Low-Cost Sensing for Indoor Air Quality Management.

Indoor air quality (IAQ) problems in school environments are very common and have significant impacts on students' performance, development and health. Indoor air conditions depend on the adopted ventilation practices, which in Mediterranean countries are essentially based on natural ventilation controlled through manual window opening. Citizen science projects directed to school communities are effective strategies to promote awareness and knowledge acquirement on IAQ and adequate ventilation management. Our multidisciplinary research team has developed a framework-SchoolAIR-based on low-cost sensors and a scalable IoT system architecture to support the improvement of IAQ in schools. The SchoolAIR framework is based on do-it-yourself sensors that continuously monitor air temperature, relative humidity, concentrations of carbon dioxide and particulate matter in school environments. The framework was tested in the classrooms of University Fernando Pessoa, and its deployment and proof of concept took place in a high school in the north of Portugal. The results obtained reveal that CO2 concentrations frequently exceed reference values during classes, and that higher concentrations of particulate matter in the outdoor air affect IAQ. These results highlight the importance of real-time monitoring of IAQ and outdoor air pollution levels to support decision-making in ventilation management and assure adequate IAQ. The proposed approach encourages the transfer of scientific knowledge from universities to society in a dynamic and active process of social responsibility based on a citizen science approach, promoting scientific literacy of the younger generation and enhancing healthier, resilient and sustainable indoor environments.

Correlation between the Prevalence of Sick-Building Syndrome and Safe Indoor Air Quality Concept in Private Residential Housing in Jordan

Indoor air quality (IAQ) and related health problems have witnessed remarkable attention recently. The prevalence of sick-building syndrome (SBS) is considered the most common health issue. This study conducted in the Al-Dahrieh neighborhood in Jordan showed for the first time how indoor air quality (IAQ) factors affect the prevalence of sick-building syndrome among occupants in residential buildings. The study investigated the concentration levels of air pollutants and comfort parameters. Architectural and urban design configurations were collected through site observation. In addition, daily activities for occupants were gathered through an online questionnaire. All statistical and descriptive analyses of the data collected for this study were carried out by Spearman’s rho correlation test (SPSS) and Excel 2016. It was done using two-tailed (2-tailed) tests and a 1% statistical significance level ( p < 0.01); interestingly, all expected parameters checked using SPSS are acceptable according to the significant factor of p < 0.05. The research explored low air quality in the selected case studies and suggested simple mitigation strategies to reduce pollutants concentration in the buildings, such as natural ventilation and control of pollution from internal sources. Moreover, architects may take these findings to enhance neighborhood and building design to achieve the goal of constructing healthier buildings.

Influences of home kitchen designs on indoor air quality

Kitchen indoor air quality (IAQ) has not been well-addressed amongst other IAQ problems at home, despite the fact that cooking is one of the major home activities that can generate high levels of respirable particles and gaseous air pollutants. This study aims at investigating the effects of home kitchen designs on the performance of various ventilation strategies in reducing exposure to IAQ pollutants. The degree of natural ventilation was found to be dependent largely on the relative position of window and door opening, and using mixed ventilation with natural cross-ventilation and mechanical ventilation did not necessarily provide better ventilation. Natural ventilation with the added fume extraction by the exhaust fan could not protect the occupants from high levels of cooking pollutants. Range hood on the other hand could quickly and locally remove particles and gaseous cooking pollutants from the source. The study recommends using a range hood alone during cooking or with single-side natural ventilation to maintain an acceptable IAQ in the home kitchen.

Identification of Indoor Air Quality Factors in Slovenian Schools: National Cross-Sectional Study

Poor indoor air quality (IAQ) in schools is associated with impacts on pupils’ health and learning performance. We aimed to identify the factors that affect IAQ in primary schools. The following objectives were set: (a) to develop a questionnaire to assess the prevalence of factors in primary schools, (b) to conduct content validity of the questionnaire, and (c) to assess the prevalence of factors that affect the IAQ in Slovenian primary schools. Based on the systematic literature review, we developed a new questionnaire to identify factors that affect the IAQ in primary schools and conducted its validation. The questionnaires were sent to all 454 Slovenian primary schools; the response rate was 78.19%. The results show that the most important outdoor factors were the school’s micro location and the distance from potential sources of pollution, particularly traffic. Among the indoor factors, we did not detect a pronounced dominating factor. Our study shows that the spatial location of schools is key to addressing the problem of IAQ in schools.

Data Analysis and Optimization of Thermal Environment in Underground Commercial Building in Zhengzhou, China

Underground commercial buildings have received increasing attention as an emerging place of consumption. However, previous studies on underground commercial buildings have mainly focused on the impact of a specific environment on comfort or energy consumption. Few studies have been conducted from the perspective of functional use. The purpose of this paper is to investigate, in terms of functional angles, the indoor thermal environment and air quality of an underground commercial building in Zhengzhou, China, and put forward an optimal control strategy of ventilation organization. The results showed that the relative humidity of the underground shopping mall was generally above 60%, and the average temperature of 29.1 °C led to a thermal comfort problem in the catering area in summer. Meanwhile, the concentration of CO2 exceeded the allowed figures during the peak of the customer flow rate, and PM2.5 concentration in the catering area also exceeded the standard, by 43.3% and 33.3%, respectively. Furthermore, to solve the indoor thermal environment and air quality problems found in the field measurements, this study assessed the air distribution by adopting three different air supply schemes for the catering area. Optimization results showed that compared with the ceiling supply, the side supply scheme kept the air temperature 0.4 °C cooler in summer and 0.5 °C warmer in winter. The temperature uniformity increased by 5.4% and 3.7%, and the velocity uniformity increased by 6.5% and 8.8%, respectively. This study can provide theoretical support for thermal environment construction and ventilation organization control of underground commercial buildings.

Small-scale botanical in enhancing indoor air quality: A bibliometric analysis (2011-2020) and short review

Poor indoor air quality (IAQ) has developed a positive relationship with human health risks. Recently, research findings reported that the pollution level of indoor air could be 2 – 5 times higher than the outdoor air. In some studies, the poor IAQ could reach up to 100 times or more in a natural/ mechanical ventilated building. IAQ depends heavily on the ambient air quality and pollutants/ contaminants produced by household activities. Poor IAQ could lead to various health issues, i.e., asthma, lung cancer, dizziness, fatigue, headaches, etc. One of the possible solutions to overcome the poor IAQ problem is the utilisation of indoor botanical to improve the IAQ. The phytoremediation of botanical is an affordable and environmentally friendly approach to purify the polluted indoor air. Although there is no established recommendation for determining the best indoor botanical in improving the IAQ, many studies have revealed the ability of specific indoor botanicals to remove pollutants/ contaminants. This paper presents the bibliometric analysis and short review based on 79 publications issued in 2011 – 2021. Those articles were extracted from the Web of Science database. Based on the analysis, the number of publications has increased significantly starting from the year 2017. Indoor Air was identified as one of the top productive journals for this research topic.

Model of Demand of Human Settlement Environment for Rural Houses in North China: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach

Numerous studies have shown that the technology used to improve the living environment in rural areas often loses its effect in a few years, and farmers return to their familiar and habitual way of life. The failure to consider the basic needs of farmers is an important reason for these problems. Therefore, this study conducted qualitative and quantitative analyses on the factors that influence the demand on the human settlement environment through visits, field measurements, a questionnaire survey (which involved more than 20 households in 14 villages in seven provinces and cities in northern China), and the construction of a structural equation model based on demand. The survey included (amongst other factors) personal attributes, daily living, diet and environmental preferences, living customs and energy consumption, housing construction methods, and the surrounding environment. The results showed that, compared with mental happiness (0.084) and physical health (0.119), socioeconomic status (0.260) had a greater influence on the weight of the overall demand satisfaction among the various demand indicators. Farmers prioritized yard planning (0.135), toilets (0.126), and living rooms (0.095). They also gave importance to the indoor thermal environment (0.088), air quality (0.088), and food problems (0.087). The findings of this study provide a theoretical reference for the inception of technical approaches to improve human settlement environment centered on rural houses in North China, and the realization of sustainable development in the future.

Assessment of PM10 and PM2.5 Concentrations at Different Floor Levels of USM Health Campus’s Library

Library plays an important role in education and research materials especially used by university students. And it is known that university students prefer to spend most of their time in the library. There are multifactorial of high concentration of pollutants in a building, thus library is the best choice in this study to prove it. The purpose of this study is to assess the indoor air quality (IAQ) in library at USM Health Campus, Kota Bharu, Kelantan. The comparison of PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations between different floor levels of library was determined. This study was also conducted to obtain the relation between PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations with the number of occupants, temperature, relative humidity and total number of books. Particulate matter concentrations were measured at library by using Handheld 3016 IAQ Particle Counter. The data was collected for eight hours for each floor with five minutes time interval. Based on Kruskal Wallis test, there were significant differences of PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations between floor levels (p<0.05). Number of occupants was found significant to PM2.5 concentrations through Spearman Correlation test (p<0.05). Furthermore, two of environmental factors (temperature and relative humidity) were found poorly significant with PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations which r-value were less than 0.3 (r-PM10=0.22, r-PM2.5=-0.15; r-PM10=-0.17, r-PM2.5=0.2). Number of books and different floor surface area of library were obtained as contributing factor which increased PM concentration. In conclusion, cleaning and housekeeping activities in library need to regularly practice to minimize IAQ problems in order to provide a healthier indoor environment.

ЭКОЛОГИЯ ЗДАНИЙ. АНАЛИЗ И МЕТОДЫ ПРОЕКТИРОВАНИЯ ЗДАНИЙ

Design issues related to indoor air quality and “sustainable architecture” are considered. However, they have generally not been established on a reliable analytical basis. The emphasis here is on the study of analytical methods and sources for the development of recommendations for the rational design of healthy buildings. Also, this article discusses both internal conditions, especially indoor air quality problems, and general environmental problems. It discusses the assessment of the impact of buildings on the environment as a whole. It also analyzes the available data to determine the norms of important parameters of buildings and analyzes the main studies of the impact of buildings on the health of residents. The analysis presented here is intended to help building designers prioritize alternative design options that minimize harmful effects on the internal and general environment.

Developing design criteria for active green wall bioremediation performance: Growth media selection shapes plant physiology, water and air flow patterns

Emerging data indicates that incumbent mechanical/physio-chemical air handling systems inadequately address common indoor air quality (IAQ) problems, including elevated CO2 levels and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), with compounding negative impacts to human health. Preliminary research suggests that active plant-based systems may synthetically address these challenges. However, in order to design system performance parameters, the significance of species selection and biogeochemical mechanisms of growth media design need further characterization towards an effective bioremediative interface with air handling systems. Here, through three different species across three different growth media designs, we investigate trade-offs between CO2 sequestration through photosynthesis and CO2 production by metabolically active root-zones (that may remediate VOCs). Across the species, hydroponic media produced 61% greater photosynthetic leaf area compared to organic media which produced 66% more root biomass. CO2 concentration changes driven by differing plant and growth media (organic vs. hydroponic) treatments were measured within a semi-sealed chamber. Repeated estimations of net CO2 concentrations throughout plant development revealed decreasing influxes of CO2 within the chamber over time, indicating evolving photosynthesis/respiration balances. Multivariate analysis indicates growth media design, through impacts to water availability, air flow rates and plant development, was a more significant driver of bioremediation performance metrics than species selection.

An Investigation of Indoor Air Quality in a Recently Refurbished Educational Building

Young people spend extended periods of time in educational buildings, yet relatively little is known about the air quality in such spaces, or the long-term risks which contaminant exposure places on their health and development. Although standards exist in many countries in relation to indoor air quality in educational buildings, they are rarely subject to detailed post-occupancy evaluation. In this study a novel indoor air quality testing methodology is proposed and demonstrated in the context of assessing the post-occupancy performance of a recently refurbished architecture studio building at Loughborough University, United Kingdom. The approach used provides a monitoring process that was designed to evaluate air quality in accordance with United Kingdom national guidelines (Building Bulletin 101) and international (WELL Building) standards. Additional, scenario-based, testing was incorporated to isolate the presence and source of harmful volatile organic compounds, which were measured using diffusive sampling methods involving analysis by thermal desorption - gas chromatography - mass spectrometry techniques. The findings show that whilst the case-study building appears to perform well in respect to existing national and international standards, these guidelines only assess average CO2 concentrations and total volatile organic compound limits. The results indicate that existing standards, designed to protect the health and wellbeing of students, are likely to be masking potentially serious indoor air quality problems. The presence of numerous harmful VOCs found in this study indicates that an urgent revaluation of educational building procurement and air quality monitoring guidelines is needed.

Microbial Indoor Air Quality and Associated Factors in Jimma Town Prison Administration, Southwestern Ethiopia.

Indoor air quality determines the well-being of occupants. It has been linked to sick building syndrome and building-related diseases which lead to many socio-economic problems including reduced productivity and impaired learning. Indoor air quality problem is more serious for prisoners, due to their confinement and exposure condition. However, it has not been studied in our study setting. Thus, this study aimed to determine the indoor air microbial quality and associated factors in Jimma town prison administration, Southwestern Ethiopia. A cross-sectional study design was employed in August 2021. Data on the general condition of the prison rooms and occupancy were collected by trained data collectors using an observational checklist. The microbial sample was collected using a sterilized Petri dish. A total of 19 triplicate air samples were collected using Mannitol salt agar and Sabouroad dextrose agar media for the growth of S. aureus and fungi respectively. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 23 and presented using tables and a graph. The effect of predictor variables on the microbial load was also analyzed by using linear regression. The finding of this study revealed that the microbial load of indoor air at Jimma town prison administration ranged from 891 to 15 439 and 315 to 3067 CFU/m³ for S. aureus and fungi respectively. Both S. aureus and the fungal load of the indoor environment were positively affected by the temperature of the room. Whereas, the floor space per inmate affects the concentration of S. aureus alone. Almost all rooms of the prison administration had microbial load beyond the acceptable limit. Higher temperature, less floor space per inmate, bad floor cleanness conditions, inadequate ventilation, and dampness were contributing factors to the high load of S. aureus and fungus. Thus, additional rooms are required to reduce overcrowding and keep room temperature.

Developing Indoor Air Quality Monitoring System Using Internet of Things and Wireless Sensor Network

Since Indoor air quality heavily affects human health, the problem of indoor air quality needs serious attention, especially when the air quality is unfriendly and containing smoke. Therefore, it requires monitoring system to determine the smoke level in a room. This study aims to develop an indoor air monitoring system based on IoT and WSN to ease the users for monitoring the air quality in the surrounding environment. The research methods employed through library research, surveys and field observations, development system and testing system. The application development stage includes analysis, system design, implementation, and testing. The air quality level monitoring application was built with the web based programming language, MySQL database, and Arduino. The level of air pollution was measured by an MQ-2 sensor that serves to detect smoke levels and a web-based application to display information. The indoor air quality monitoring system is able to display the data result through website which can be accessed via the internet. Therefore, users can access the data from the smoke-level measurement of monitored surrounding environment. The testing of the system shows that this application is feasible and applicable to be used as a device to monitor indoor air quality levels.

The Association Between Work-related Stress, Indoor Air Quality and Voice Problems Among Teachers - Is There a Trend?

IntroductionHoarseness and other voice problems are common in occupations where the person has to speak, sing or shout in a work environment containing dust, noise, gaseous or particulate irritants. In recent years, stress has often been associated with voice problems. ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to examine trends over a period of time of the prevalence of voice problems and reported stress in Finnish school buildings. Study DesignSchool buildings from different parts of the country were studied for ten years using a similar questionnaire (N = 1721). Five schools participated before and after the remediation of an indoor air problem in the school buildings (n = 315). ResultsIn the pilot study (2007–2008), the reported work-related stress was on a very low level (3%) and the prevalence of hoarseness was 10%. After the economic crisis in 2008, the stress was observed to have increased. During the follow-up (2008–2017), the reported stress had continued to increase and in the latest surveys it was 21% and the prevalence of hoarseness 34%. Indoor air factors correlated significantly with hoarseness even when controlling for age, gender, owning pets and job satisfaction in a logistic regression model. In the school buildings where the remediation of the building was completed, the prevalence of hoarseness decreased but the level of stress increased. In general, the proportion of respondents reporting stress was lower than the proportion of respondents with hoarseness. Additionally, the reported stress also correlated with factors other than health in the education branch, especially economic resources and major changes in the core curriculum. ConclusionHoarseness and work-related stress have, to a large extent, different risk factors. Over time, the proportion of individuals with stress has been at a lower level than the proportion of respondents with voice problems; hence, we conclude that it is quite unlikely that stress would be a causative risk factor for hoarseness. We recommend that irritant dust and gases should be reduced from the work environment of teachers to enable recovery from hoarseness and other voice problems. Coping with work-related stress should be alleviated with other measures.

Impact of weather conditions and building design on contaminant infiltration from crawl spaces in Swedish schools\u2014Numerical modeling using Monte Carlo method

Some Swedish school buildings built in the 1960s and 1970s experience indoor air quality problems, where the contaminants are suspected to come from the crawl space underneath the building. The poor indoor air quality causes discomfort among pupils and teachers. Installing an exhaust fan to maintain a negative pressure difference in the crawl space relative to indoors or increasing the ventilation in the classroom are two examples of common measures taken to improve the indoor air quality. However, these measures are not always effective, and sometimes the school building has to be demolished. The relation between pressure distribution, contaminant concentration in the classroom, outdoor temperature, wind, mechanical ventilation, and air leakage distribution is complex. A better understanding of these relations is crucial for making decisions on the most efficient measure to improve the indoor air quality. In this paper, a model for contaminant infiltration from the crawl space is used together with the Monte Carlo method to study these relations. Simulations are performed for several cases where different building shapes, building orientations, shielding conditions, and geographical locations are simulated. Results show, for example, that for a building with an imbalanced ventilation system, air is leaking from the crawl space to the classroom for the majority of cases and that concentration levels in the classroom are usually the highest during mild and calm days.

Analysis of the Effect of HVAC System Modification towards Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) and Microbiological Growth at Accommodation and Office Buildings in an Oil and Gas Industry

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) problems, such as high relative humidity and microbiological (bacteria and mold) growth in accommodation and office buildings, can cause health effects for the occupants. People commonly have activities inside the buildings all day long. This study aimed to determine the impact of HVAC systems on IAQ parameters and microbiological growth. The study was conducted in accommodation and office buildings that had been identified with IAQ problems. The research methodology used a quantitative cross-sectional study design with statistical comparison analysis and statistical correlation analysis. The statistic results showed that relative humidity (RH) significantly had a strong correlation (r=0.520, 95% CI) with mold growth in ambient air of accommodation; O2 had a significantly strong correlation (r=0.541, 95% CI) with bacteria growth in ambient air at the office; VOC (r=0.853, 95% CI) and CO2 (r=0.803, 95% CI) had a very strong correlation with mold growth at office surface area. High humidity contributed to risk on IAQ (OR=50, 95% CI). Significant improvement was shown in relative humidity at all buildings, especially at the office, but mold and bacteria growth were offered only at the accommodation. Therefore, a comprehensive evaluation was needed to improve the IAQ and modify the HVAC system.

The Chemical and Physical Parameters as Indicator of Office Air Quality at PT X Coal Mining Company

Background: Coal still ranks the second largest source of total global energy demand, which is complemented by the high-risk nature of coal mining activity. Therefore, it is important to discuss the health issues of coal workers. One of the risks associated with coal mining activities is poor indoor air quality (IAQ) due to the high concentration of airborne pollutants. Methods: This study aims to evaluate the results of air quality measurements in the PT X office, and the method used was a descriptive approach with quantitative secondary data. Furthermore, the measured variables are NO2, SO2, CO2, CO, Pb, PM10, temperature, humidity, and noise. Conclusion: The results showed that there was an IAQ problem, namely noise, temperature, and humidity which exceed the recommendations. Therefore, the IAQ management implemented by PT X was still systematically and comprehensively developing.

Prediction models using outdoor environmental data for real-time PM10 concentrations in daycare centers, kindergartens, and elementary schools

Children spend a considerable amount of time in daycare centers, kindergartens, and elementary schools. Poor indoor air quality (IAQ) in the educational facilities can affect the health of the children and impair their academic performance. The prediction of real-time PM10 concentration could be useful to intervene the problem of poor IAQ. This study developed models to predict real-time indoor PM10 concentration in the daycare centers, kindergartens, and elementary schools using outdoor environmental data. Indoor PM10 concentrations were measured in 54 daycare centers, 12 kindergartens, and 21 elementary schools in Seoul, South Korea, using a real-time monitor (AirGuard K) over a period of one year. Multiple linear regression models were used to predict real-time indoor PM10 concentration in these educational facilities using outdoor PM10 and meteorological data as input variable. Four formations (original, ratio of indoor-to-outdoor, root-transformation, and log-transformation) for dependent variable were compared to determine the best performance of the model. A 10-fold cross-validation method was used to evaluate the accuracy of the prediction models. Daycare centers showed the highest indoor PM10 concentration. Root-transformed models with high accuracy were developed to predict the real-time indoor PM10 concentration in educational facilities every 10 min. The R2 of the prediction models were 0.64 in the daycare centers, 0.45 in the kindergartens, and 0.43 in the elementary schools. The 24 h profile of the predicted indoor PM10 was similar to the measured PM10 concentration. The prediction models could provide real-time PM10 levels in educational facilities without direct indoor measurement and observation.