{
  "abstract": "Background: Children spend substantial time in schools, yet indoor air quality (IAQ) and airborne pathogen burden remain under-characterised. Following 2021 WHO Air Quality Guidelines (AQG), this study quantified the gap between recommended standards and real-world conditions while assessing exposure to airborne respiratory viruses as a combined public health risk.\n\nMethods: In March 2026, air sampling was conducted in 28 classrooms across seven primary schools in Patras, Greece. Triplicate PM2.5/PM10 measurements were obtained alongside RT-qPCR detection of airborne SARS-CoV-2, hMPV, RSV, rhinovirus, and influenza A. Non-parametric tests (Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis) and Cliff’s delta evaluated ventilation and occupancy effects. Reliability: RSD<5%.\n\nResults: Mean PM2.5=37.8 µg/m³; mean PM10=109 µg/m³. All classrooms exceeded WHO 24-hour AQG limits. At least one respiratory virus was detected in every classroom; SARS-CoV-2 most frequent. No significant urban/peri-urban differences (p > 0.5), indicating indoor sources and regional background outweigh local traffic. Frequent natural ventilation was associated with lower particulate concentrations (p < 0.033, Cliff’s delta>0.58) and reduced viral RNA detection. PM2.5/PM10 ratio=0.35 suggests dust resuspension as the dominant indoor PM source.\n\nConclusions: Primary school children in Patras face dual exposure to elevated particulate pollution and airborne viruses. Natural ventilation is a highly effective, low-cost, equitable intervention. Aligning school infrastructure and policies with WHO AQG, alongside standardised ventilation protocols, offers a sustainable strategy to reduce chronic environmental and acute infectious risks.\n\nKey messages: • Greek schoolchildren face simultaneous chronic particulate matter and acute (virus) airborne hazards, undocumented until now.\n\n• Mandating WHO-aligned ventilation protocols in schools can mitigate both environmental and infectious disease burdens simultaneously.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [],
  "article_type": "abstract",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 2,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "A Chatziantoniou"
    },
    {
      "name": "A Vantarakis"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/464pb1cw13dvt.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.1262",
  "fulltext_url": "https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13698908/",
  "id": "464pb1cw13dvt",
  "issns": [
    "1101-1262",
    "1464-360X"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.1262",
  "language": "en",
  "licence": "CC-BY-NC-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY-NC 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "heading",
      "6. Poster Displays"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "AcademicSubjects/MED00860"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "AcademicSubjects/SOC01210"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "AcademicSubjects/SOC02610"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "DF. Environment and health"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "2307|Indoor Air Quality and Microbial Exposure"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7223696625",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13698908/pdf/?tool=EBI",
  "pmcid": "PMC13698908",
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-01",
  "publisher": "Oxford University Press",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/464pb1cw13dvt.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:19:36Z",
      "native_id": "PMC13698908",
      "source": "pmc",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.1262"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:21:48Z",
      "native_id": "PMC:PMC13698908",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13698908"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "openalex:2307|Indoor Air Quality and Microbial Exposure",
      "subfield": "pharmacology-toxicology"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Dual burden of PM and airborne viruses in primary schools: A pilot study in Patras, Greece",
  "title_text": "Dual burden of PM and airborne viruses in primary schools: A pilot study in Patras, Greece",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:35:33Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/464pb1cw13dvt",
  "venue": "The European Journal of Public Health",
  "versions": []
}