The Institut Scientifique de Service Public (ISSeP) is launching a call for applications to schools for the “CO2 sensor” project. This involves providing schools wishing to take part with a sensor for measuring CO2 in classrooms.
The project is aimed at all Walloon schools, primary and secondary, across all educational networks. 800 sensors are available.
The pedagogical tools made available will be of particular interest to 4th, 5th and 6th primary school teachers, as well as 1st and 2nd secondary school teachers (science or technology). In fact, the proposed educational projects can be easily integrated into these school years’ curricula.
Children spend over 80% of their time inside school buildings. Pollutants and stale air can accumulate in poorly ventilated classrooms, leading to excessively high concentrations of pollutants. While CO2 is not a pollutant in itself, it is a good indicator of ventilation quality and can, on its own, be the cause of numerous discomforts: drowsiness, loss of concentration, reduced performance and sometimes migraines or dizziness.
Correctly positioned, the sensor – rectangular in size, approximately 15 cm square, with a real-time display – will enable school managers to better determine when it is necessary to ventilate classrooms, and thus easily improve indoor air quality and student well-being.
The measurements will be taken during the winter of 2020-2021. The data collected over a three-month period will then be sent to ISSeP (via a web interface or by post) to feed into a study on the state of CO2 concentrations in classrooms in Wallonia.
Participating schools agree to take part in a short information session on indoor pollution and the importance of proper classroom ventilation. These information sessions, lasting approximately 2 hours, will be held between March and May 2020. The ASBL “Hypothèse” will also present the educational tools developed as part of this project.
At the end of the study, participating schools will receive a personalized and confidential report containing the results of the measurements carried out in the class concerned, as well as personalized advice.
Each participating entity will ultimately be able to keep the device supplied.
Through this “CO2 sensors” project, ISSeP aims to raise awareness of indoor air quality issues in schools and, more broadly, of measures to prevent environmental health risks. Commissioned as part of the Environment-Health Plan and supported by the Walloon Minister for the Environment, Céline Tellier, this study is financed by SPW Environment and AwAC (Walloon Air and Climate Agency).
Establishments can register until October 2020, via the following link: https: //www.issep.be/capteur-co2/.