Clean Air Day: Schools to receive air purifiers and monitors across Herts

Over 8,000 children are to benefit from state of the art air purifiers which have been installed in over 30 primary schools by Hertfordshire County Council, it was announced today.

Each of the schools will also have air quality monitors connected in each classroom, so pupils will be able to monitor the impact of the air purifiers.

Hertfordshire County Council’s director of Growth and Environment, Mark Doran, explained what makes this project different: ‘This is one of the first projects of its kind to install air purifiers at this scale and then actually measure the difference they make.

‘We’re working in partnership with Schools’ Air Quality Monitoring for Health and Education (SAMHE), who have provided air quality monitors, so the project will be continuously monitored and rigorously evaluated.

‘This will also offer great educational opportunities, as pupils and teachers can view the data and use it in curriculum-linked activities and experiments, seeing for themselves the impact of the air filters.

‘The project forms part of our work to deliver our Sustainable Hertfordshire ambition of cleaner air for all by 2030 and we hope that the results, available next year, will demonstrate many benefits, including less illness-related absences.’

Priority is being given to schools located in areas of high deprivation and with higher outdoor air pollution levels, with specific attention being given to special schools.

Hertfordshire County Council’s director of Public Health, Sarah Perman, added: ‘Children spend around 30 per cent of their time in school, and around 70 per cent of that is indoors.

‘Air pollution can make many health conditions worse, including respiratory illnesses like asthma, with primary children most at risk because their lungs are at a crucial developmental stage. We also know that it can affect concentration levels and academic performance.

‘This project will help around 8,000 children and 400+ staff breathe cleaner air while they are at school and reap the benefits of a cleaner, greener, healthier Hertfordshire.’

A second phase to roll out to a further 10 schools is in development, taking the number of children breathing cleaner air to well over 10,000.