Total airborne bacteria in daycare centers. Be sure to take care of it with periodic natural ventilation!
○ Survey of five indoor air quality maintenance standards for 30 daycare centers in the northern part of the country between June and October last year
- Within CO2, PM10, PM2.5, and HCHO standards, 10 total airborne bacteria levels exceeded
○ Researcher, "To create a healthy indoor environment, natural ventilation is required for 1 to 2 hours and 5 to 10 minutes per session."
According to a survey of 30 daycare centers in northern province from June to October last year, 10 places said total airborne bacteria (TAB) exceeded the standard, asking for periodic ventilation.
"Total Airbnb" is a bacterium that floats routinely in indoor air that is attached to dust or water vapor and survives, causing allergic and respiratory diseases.
The institute analyzed the correlation between ventilation status, carbon dioxide, and total airborne bacteria in daycare centers to analyze factors affecting total airborne bacteria concentration and to come up with management measures.
According to the analysis, due to insufficient ventilation, the higher the concentration of carbon dioxide, the higher the concentration of total airborne bacteria. In ventilation, 373 CFU/£ was found to be less than 800 CFU/£ of the average total airborne bacteria concentration at the surveyed daycare centers, but if there was not enough ventilation, the average total airborne bacteria concentration rose to 2,377 CFU/£, three times the standard.
In the case of 10 cases exceeding the standard level, the total concentration of airborne bacteria was found to be two places with 3,000 CFU/m3, two places from 1,601 to 2,400 CFU/m3, and six places from 800 to 1,600 CFU/m3, respectively.
Total airborne bacteria and carbon dioxide increase as the indoor environment is concentrated and closer to airtight state, so it is necessary to have a large area of frequent ventilation and classroom use per student to manage pleasant indoor air quality, the researcher explained.
In particular, the institute recommends more than 10 minutes of natural ventilation three times a day, according to the Gyeonggi Province Indoor Environment Management Manual," but the researcher explained that considering the characteristics of daycare centers with high children's activity, it is important to ventilate them more frequently."
Park Yong-bae, head of the Gyeonggi Institute for Health and Environment, said, "We hope this survey will help inform and improve the importance of managing carbon dioxide and total airborne bacteria necessary for healthy indoor air in daycare centers."
Meanwhile, among the five indoor air quality maintenance standards, carbon dioxide (CO2), fine dust (PM10, PM2.5), and formaldehyde (HCHO) were all found to be within the acceptable standard.
