How Classroom Air Purifiers Protect Students & Teachers

Classroom air purifiers come equipped with a variety of different filter technologies that target different pollutants. Most can eliminate a wide array of air pollutants, including fine particulate matter (PM2.5), which includes dust, pollen, mold spores, and vehicular emissions that can penetrate deep into the respiratory tract, leading to various health issues. However, and more importantly, the air purifiers equipped with HEPA filters can capture airborne pathogens, including bacteria and viruses. With the prevalence of COVID and flu season upon us, many parents may be worried about the spread of infectious diseases within classrooms. HEPA filters eliminate this worry, and by cleaning the entire volume of air within a room, these air purifiers make the air safer by capturing virus particles. Activated carbon filters too can complement this by adsorbing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and odors coming from cleaning products, art supplies, and building materials, which are known to cause headaches, dizziness, and other symptoms that can detract from student concentration and performance.

Beyond managing illnesses, the physical health benefits of using air purifiers include reducing the sneezing, coughing, and sniffling of students in your classroom. Moreover, when it comes to the most important benefits of air purifiers in classrooms, studies have shown that reduced exposure to air pollutants is correlated with better attention spans, higher cognitive function, and increased productivity. Teachers can observe these physical and cognitive health improvements in test scores, concentration, and decreased absences, leaving no room to question the benefits of air purifiers in school classrooms.

Most Important Features for Classroom Air Purifiers

When choosing the best air purifier for your classroom, you need to consider the size of the room, the power output of the air purifier itself, how loud it is, your budget, and more. Here are key factors to consider when selecting the best air purifier for your classrooms needs.

Effective Filtration

Air purifiers with HEPA filters are capable of removing 99.97% of particles that are 0.3 microns in diameter, including virus particles, pollen, dust mites, mold spores, and smoke. True HEPA (H13) filters go even further, offering even higher efficiency, crucial for capturing the smallest pollutants and pathogens that pose health risks in densely populated classrooms.

Moreover, a pre-filter can capture larger particles, extending the HEPA filter’s life, while activated carbon filters can remove gasses, odors, and VOCs, ensuring the air is not only clean but also free from odors that can distract or cause discomfort for students and teachers.

Strong Air Movement

Classroom air purifiers should be able to circulate and filter the entire volume of air in the classroom multiple times per hour. An Air Changes Per Hour (ACH) rate of 3-6 ensures that air is consistently exchanged and reduces the concentration of airborne pollutants and pathogens quickly. Higher-density classrooms where air quality can deteriorate rapidly due to activities and high attendance should be more aware of this rating.

Low Noise Output

A classroom air purifier is of little value if its effective operation disturbs the class or harms concentration. Most reputable purifiers list decibel output at its high and low levels. Look for units with low decibel output at high and low settings. Many air purifiers designed for the classroom also feature “silent” or “whisper” modes, which operate at noise levels low enough not to be disrupting.

Additional Considerations

• Energy Efficiency: Air purifiers with Energy Star certifications consume less power and reduce operational costs
• Maintenance and Budget Requirements: Opt for air purifiers that fit your budget and have filters that have a long lifespan and are easy to replace. Some models offer washable pre-filters, which can help reduce ongoing maintenance time and costs.
• Safety Features: Features like automatic shut-off, touch-safe grilles, and child lock settings are important in a classroom setting, especially around young children.
• Smart Features and Indicators: Modern air purifiers come equipped with air quality sensors and indicators, providing real-time feedback on the air quality. Some also offer remote control and programmable timers for scheduling and easy adjustments over the school day.

Improving Classroom Air Quality Beyond Air Purifiers

The use of air purifiers is just one solution. There are various other methods that could be utilized to improve air quality in the classroom environment. Ventilation is the first step. Increasing the influx of fresh outdoor air can significantly dilute indoor pollutants. Schools can achieve this by opening windows and doors whenever weather and safety conditions permit, thereby facilitating natural ventilation. Additionally, installing or upgrading HVAC systems to include HEPA filters and ensuring these systems are regularly maintained can further enhance air quality by filtering out pollutants from circulated air.

Moreover, reducing the source of indoor air pollution can solve the problem before it begins. Schools should have only low-VOC emitting materials, paints, and cleaning products to minimize the release of harmful chemicals indoors. Regular cleaning and dusting practices too, using non-toxic cleaning agents, can help remove dust, allergens, and pathogens from surfaces, like desks and doors, as well as the air. 

These tips should also be applied to your homes. Implementing these changes in schools will do little to nothing for your child if they are coming home to equally or worse levels of air pollution. This is also especially notable for children in homeschooling routines or programs. Following the pandemic, we saw the use of our home transition in various ways. Many people were forced to learn and work from home, and the use of home schooling programs grew significantly at 10.1% yearly between 2016-2021. Hence, the health of the air extends beyond the classroom and into your home. And it takes more than just air purifiers to maximize the health of your child.

Common Factors that Cause Allergy and Asthma Issues at School

Asthma, which has doubled since the 1990s, is the leading cause of school absenteeism and hospital admittance for kids. Allergies too are constantly on the rise, with 20-30% of students suffering from symptoms yearly. When it comes to allergies and asthma, parents who keep the air clean at home often experience great frustration in resolving air quality issues in schools, especially schools in older buildings, in manufacturing towns, and inner cities. Hence, it is important to not only identify what factors aggravate these issues and symptoms for kids in a school environment, but also the types of buildings that are most in need of air purifiers as a solution.

• Old buildings – They can emit particles from lead-based paints, crumbling masonry, areas that have not been cleaned in years, and hidden mold. Poor ventilation is often present, and sometimes water leaks and pest infestation are issues, all of which can aggravate asthma and allergy symptoms.
• Chemicals – Pesticides, toxic fumes from harsh chemicals, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), fragrances, and cleaning solutions can be dangerous on their own, but the combination of chemicals can quickly send a child into an asthma attack.
• Particulates – Classrooms are loaded with particulate that irritates the tender airways of children, including old furniture and carpeting, soot, animal dander from classroom pets, paper dust, clothing fibers, and dead skin cells. These factors can make breathing more difficult and are imperative to address.

When it comes to addressing these concerns, air purifiers should immediately be a consideration for every level of schooling. Classrooms with younger children who stay in only one classroom during the school day for instance should invest in air purifiers to alleviate parents’ worries and protect their health. This issue may be more difficult to resolve with middle and high school-aged kids however who move from class to class. For college students, an air purifier is a dorm necessity and portable models have been developed for spaces like these. Researching the pollutants present, type of infrastructure, and percent of students suffering from asthma or allergies in school buildings is essential for choosing the right air purifiers and alleviating the symptoms of its children.

Best Air Purifier for Classrooms

Choosing the best air purifier for a classroom involves evaluating the size requirements, its filter output, the technology it incorporates, and more. Keep in mind that when evaluating the size of your classroom and the square footage that an air purifier covers, you may want a machine that covers more space than the size of your room. This way, you can run it on the low or auto setting for the whole day which can further minimize the noise factor. Alternatively, with a smaller machine that covers less square footage, you may have to run it on high all the time. Hence, when it comes to selecting the best air purifiers for classrooms of every size, we recommend four that focus on operating at a low noise, are efficient for the space, and can effectively filter the volume of air in any room.

Maintaining healthy air quality in your classroom can be easily achieved with the incorporation of an air purifier. Selecting the best one for you involves simple steps of evaluating the size needs of your classroom, as well as the pollutants present in the environment. Providing your students with clean air will benefit them physically by reducing their asthma and allergy symptoms among other respiratory issues, as well as cognitively by increasing their focus, mental health and more. Be proactive and invest in a classroom air purifier now.