Uploaded November 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) shares guidance on how schools can prioritize healthy indoor environments. Through its Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools program, the agency highlights seven technical strategies to address common indoor air quality (IAQ) challenges in educational settings.
The 7 technical solutions include:
1. Provide Quality HVAC - Effective HVAC system design, operation, and maintenance are essential for ensuring healthy indoor air quality in schools. When HVAC systems function properly, they deliver sufficient outdoor ventilation, helping to control odors and minimize pollutants that commonly contribute to IAQ issues.
2. Mold and Moisture Control - Perform regular moisture inspections, implement a mold prevention and remediation plan, keep indoor humidity between 30% and 60%, resolve moisture issues quickly, and ensure wet areas are dried within 24 to 48 hours.
3. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) - Regularly inspect and monitor school facilities for pests, implement an integrated pest management plan, prioritize spot treatments and baits over widespread pesticide use, notify occupants before applying pesticides, and clearly mark all treated indoor and outdoor areas.
4. Effectively Clean and Maintain - Proper cleaning and maintenance are essential to safeguard both building systems and the people inside them. When school facilities do not function as intended, the health and productivity of students, teachers, and staff can be negatively affected.
5. Make Smart Materials Selections - To minimize the effects of indoor air pollutants, select products that are safer for human health and the environment compared to similar alternatives.
6. Source Control and Chemical Management - One of the best ways to improve indoor air quality is to remove pollution sources, such as harmful chemicals, or reduce their emissions.
7. Integrated Energy Management - Safeguard indoor air quality during energy-efficiency upgrades and renovations by performing regular HVAC maintenance and tune-ups, installing programmable thermostats, considering post-construction HVAC commissioning, and controlling moisture in building assemblies, mechanical systems, and occupied areas.
These are just a few of the many things to know about optimizing indoor air quality in schools and other buildings. To learn more about this or other building science, industrial hygiene, environmental, health, or safety issues, please visit the websites shown below.
Clark Seif Clark csceng.com
EMSL Analytical, Inc. emsl.com
LA Testing latesting.com
Zimmetry Environmental zimmetry.com
Healthy Indoors Magazine healthyindoors.com
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) shares guidance on how schools can prioritize healthy indoor environments. Through its Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools program, the agency highlights seven technical strategies to address common indoor air quality (IAQ) challenges in educational settings.
The 7 technical solutions include:
1. Provide Quality HVAC - Effective HVAC system design, operation, and maintenance are essential for ensuring healthy indoor air quality in schools. When HVAC systems function properly, they deliver sufficient outdoor ventilation, helping to control odors and minimize pollutants that commonly contribute to IAQ issues.
2. Mold and Moisture Control - Perform regular moisture inspections, implement a mold prevention and remediation plan, keep indoor humidity between 30% and 60%, resolve moisture issues quickly, and ensure wet areas are dried within 24 to 48 hours.
3. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) - Regularly inspect and monitor school facilities for pests, implement an integrated pest management plan, prioritize spot treatments and baits over widespread pesticide use, notify occupants before applying pesticides, and clearly mark all treated indoor and outdoor areas.
4. Effectively Clean and Maintain - Proper cleaning and maintenance are essential to safeguard both building systems and the people inside them. When school facilities do not function as intended, the health and productivity of students, teachers, and staff can be negatively affected.
5. Make Smart Materials Selections - To minimize the effects of indoor air pollutants, select products that are safer for human health and the environment compared to similar alternatives.
6. Source Control and Chemical Management - One of the best ways to improve indoor air quality is to remove pollution sources, such as harmful chemicals, or reduce their emissions.
7. Integrated Energy Management - Safeguard indoor air quality during energy-efficiency upgrades and renovations by performing regular HVAC maintenance and tune-ups, installing programmable thermostats, considering post-construction HVAC commissioning, and controlling moisture in building assemblies, mechanical systems, and occupied areas.
These are just a few of the many things to know about optimizing indoor air quality in schools and other buildings. To learn more about this or other building science, industrial hygiene, environmental, health, or safety issues, please visit the websites shown below.
Clark Seif Clark csceng.com
EMSL Analytical, Inc. emsl.com
LA Testing latesting.com
Zimmetry Environmental zimmetry.com
Healthy Indoors Magazine healthyindoors.com
