Across the world, 300 million children live in areas where outdoor air pollution is at its highest – six times greater than World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, a UNICEF report has found.
The study (‘Clear the Air for Children’) also revealed that air pollution is a “major contributing factor” in the deaths of around 600,000 children under the age of five each year.
Air pollutants can cause long-term damage to children’s developing lungs and brains, with direct links to pneumonia, asthma and other respiratory disorders. With studies also showing that poor indoor air quality can also inhibit children’s ability to concentrate and learn in school, UNICEF is urging world leaders to act on poor outdoor air quality.
The connection between outdoor and indoor air pollution is becoming increasingly well known, as the notion of introducing so-called ‘fresh’ air into buildings via windows and other ventilation is being questioned by health professionals.
With many schools immediately adjacent to busy roads, opening windows to ventilate classrooms may mean that air quality indoors is as poor as it is outside. Meanwhile, schools that have mechanical heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems may also be putting children at risk if the equipment is not maintained properly.
Cooling coils within the air handling unit (AHU) of a HVAC system are a notorious breeding ground for mould, germs, bacteria and viruses, and if not removed these contaminants can be transferred to building occupants – in this case schoolchildren – via the airstream.
Looking to tackle this growing worldwide problem is Gibbons Ultraviolet Solutions, who supply a range of chemical-free ultraviolet-C (UVC) light systems that destroy contaminants in the air and on surfaces within occupied spaces.
At the forefront of the Gibbons Ultraviolet Solutions range is Total Coil Disinfection, a permanent system which is mounted within an AHU and applies UVC light to the cooling coil. This powerful technology eradicates contaminants, allowing clean, healthy air to move through the system and to building occupants.
Total Coil Disinfection is bespoke designed to fit any AHU, requires very little maintenance and continued use can stop contaminants from re-growing.
Find out more about Total Coil Disinfection by calling Gibbons Ultraviolet Solutions Manager, Colin Hardman on 07940 544 206 or email colin@gibbonsgroup.co.uk.
Photo by Pixabay: https://www.pexels.com/photo/air-air-pollution-climate-change-dawn-221012/
