Texas elementary school indoor air study (TESIAS): overview and major findings

A study of 120 randomly selected classrooms in 30 schools in central and south Texas, USA was conducted to begin assembling baseline information on the condition of indoor air in Texas elementary schools. Part I of the study consisted of questionnaires sent to all teachers and staff in the schools to obtain information about the use of their rooms, room contents and their perceptions of its indoor air quality. Part II consisted of walkthroughs in each school and the 120 classrooms to obtain information on the building design, HVAC system and condition of the space/building. It also included making measurements of temperature, relative humidity, carbon dioxide, and carbon monoxide in the selected classrooms. Additionally, air samples were analyzed for fungal and bacterial genera, counts of airborne particles, and volatile organic compound levels in 18 classrooms.