Indoor environmental quality & student health and performance: A conceptual review Ms. Singh Pratima Assistant Professor, Department of Resource Management, Institute of Home Economics, University of Delhi, New Delhi Online published on 21 November, 2013. Abstract The paper discusses reviewed literature on the aspects important for classroom Indoor Environment. A variety of classroom conditions were seen detrimental to health and performance of children and adolescents. Several researches revealed significant co-relation between condition of the school building and students learning and performance. Indoor environments in schools were claimed to cause health effects that directly impair concentration or memory – e.g., neurological effects – or cause other health effects that indirectly affect learning – e.g., poor concentration, dizziness etc. Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) factors such as exposure to nature and daylight, air quality, temperature, odors, noise, ergonomics, and humidity affect well being and performance of its occupants. The most documented IEQ risk factors were indoor temperature and ventilation/indoor air quality. Analysis of research also showed these factors to be commonly outside the recommended ranges (lighting – 40 to 50 fc and ventilation rate of 8 L/s per person) in school buildings. It was seen that the average CO2 levels in classrooms often exceed the limit of 1500 ppm and ventilation rates were often below the minimum requirement of 3 L/s per person. Top Keywords Indoor Environmental Quality, Health, Performance, Learning, Indoor Air Quality, Temperature, Ventilation, Lighting. Top |