Multicountry evaluation of indoor air in homes and schools: results from K-HEALTHinAIR project
Abstract
Background: People spend 80 to 90% of their time indoors, making indoor air quality (IAQ) a major public health factor. Poor IAQ can increase the risk of respiratory issues, heart disease, cognitive impairments, and cancer. This study, within K-HEALTHinAIR project, aims to evaluate potential exposure risks in homes and schools, across four countries.
Methods: Data were collected using low-cost sensors to monitor CO₂, PM10, and PM₂.₅. Annual 24-hour average pollutant levels for 2025 were calculated, along with a risk analysis based on the frequency of exceedance of the guideline.
Results: CO₂ levels in homes generally stay below guidelines, with slight winter increases, particularly in wood-heated homes (up to 893 ppm), while schools showed exceedance during winter in Poland (954 ppm). Elevated PM2.5 concentration occurs in homes with district heating in the Netherlands (19.4 μg/m³), and air conditioning (34.8 μg/m3), smoking (93.9 μg/m³), and gas cooking (29.5 μg/m³) in Spain. In schools PM₂.₅ levels are higher in Polish schools (22.0 μg/m³) compared to those in Austria (9.5 μg/m³). Risk analysis indicates that CO₂ exceedance was 2 % (Spain), 8% (Austria), 11 % (the Netherlands), and 19 % (Poland), with wood-heated homes showing the highest frequencies. PM₂.₅ presents the highest exceedance rates: 36 % in Spanish smokers’ homes, 30 % in Dutch homes with passive smokers, 56 % in Austrian wood-heated homes, and 24 % in Polish homes heated by electricity. In schools, CO₂ exceedances reach 41 % in Austria and 34 % in Poland, while PM₂.₅ exceeds limits in 24 % of Polish schools compared to 10 % in Austria.
Conclusions: The findings highlight the important influence of indoor activities and household characteristics on IAQ and the potential health risks.
Acknowledgements: This study has been performed in the framework of the K-HEALTHinAIR project funded by the European Union (Grant agreement ID: 101057693).
Key messages: • Indoor activities and heating types strongly affect IAQ, with frequent PM2.5 guideline exceedances in smoking, wood-heated, and poorly ventilated homes.
• CO2 and PM levels often exceed guidelines in schools and homes, especially during winter, varying widely between countries and indicating potential health risks.
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BibTeX
@article{boghenco2026multicountry,
title = {{Multicountry evaluation of indoor air in homes and schools: results from K-HEALTHinAIR project}},
author = {O Boghenco and MO Corda and A Gómez-López and R González-Colom and A Badyda and A Kristian and S De Leede and A Van Grieken and J Fermoso and C Martins},
journal = {The European Journal of Public Health},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.339},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.339},
note = {CC BY-NC 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Multicountry evaluation of indoor air in homes and schools: results from K-HEALTHinAIR project
AU - O Boghenco
AU - MO Corda
AU - A Gómez-López
AU - R González-Colom
AU - A Badyda
AU - A Kristian
AU - S De Leede
AU - A Van Grieken
AU - J Fermoso
AU - C Martins
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - The European Journal of Public Health
DO - 10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.339
UR - https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.339
AB - Background: People spend 80 to 90% of their time indoors, making indoor air quality (IAQ) a major public health factor. Poor IAQ can increase the risk of respiratory issues, heart disease, cognitive impairments, and cancer. This study, within K-HEALTHinAIR project, aims to evaluate potential exposure risks in homes and schools, across four countries. Methods: Data were collected using low-cost sensors to monitor CO₂, PM10, and PM₂.₅. Annual 24-hour average pollutant levels for 2025 were calculated, along with a risk analysis based on the frequency of exceedance of the guideline. Results: CO₂ levels in homes generally stay below guidelines, with slight winter increases, particularly in wood-heated homes (up to 893 ppm), while schools showed exceedance during winter in Poland (954 ppm). Elevated PM2.5 concentration occurs in homes with district heating in the Netherlands (19.4 μg/m³), and air conditioning (34.8 μg/m3), smoking (93.9 μg/m³), and gas cooking (29.5 μg/m³) in Spain. In schools PM₂.₅ levels are higher in Polish schools (22.0 μg/m³) compared to those in Austria (9.5 μg/m³). Risk analysis indicates that CO₂ exceedance was 2 % (Spain), 8% (Austria), 11 % (the Netherlands), and 19 % (Poland), with wood-heated homes showing the highest frequencies. PM₂.₅ presents the highest exceedance rates: 36 % in Spanish smokers’ homes, 30 % in Dutch homes with passive smokers, 56 % in Austrian wood-heated homes, and 24 % in Polish homes heated by electricity. In schools, CO₂ exceedances reach 41 % in Austria and 34 % in Poland, while PM₂.₅ exceeds limits in 24 % of Polish schools compared to 10 % in Austria. Conclusions: The findings highlight the important influence of indoor activities and household characteristics on IAQ and the potential health risks. Acknowledgements: This study has been performed in the framework of the K-HEALTHinAIR project funded by the European Union (Grant agreement ID: 101057693). Key messages: • Indoor activities and heating types strongly affect IAQ, with frequent PM2.5 guideline exceedances in smoking, wood-heated, and poorly ventilated homes. • CO2 and PM levels often exceed guidelines in schools and homes, especially during winter, varying widely between countries and indicating potential health risks.
SN - 1101-1262
SN - 1464-360X
ER -