Air quality CO2 sensor project will target public school classrooms

The Waterloo Region District School Board plans to start a pilot project to see if CO2 sensors would be useful for long-term use in local classrooms as a way to improve air quality.

Matthew Gerard, superintendent of business services at WRDSB, explained why the board is taking on the project at this point in the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Our awareness of CO2 levels may have heightened during the pandemic for a variety of reasons," he said. "But I'd offer that the information will be helpful going forward in the event of a mass resurgence of COVID or even just from a general health perspective, of CO2 levels in their classrooms."

He said three public schools will be get the CO2 sensors:

• Laurentian.
• Chicopee Hills.
• Abraham Erb.

"Our goal would be to attempt to accumulate enough data over the course of multiple seasons to create some relevant data points. You would want to test both warmer and cooler temperatures when all aspects of your HVAC are operating."

How could CO2 sensors help?

Amy Li, an assistant professor at the University of Waterloo's civil and environmental engineering department, said there are many potential benefits to installing CO2 sensors in local classrooms.

"We can use the concentration of carbon dioxide as an indicator of the ventilation that is being supplied to classrooms," she said. "The use of ventilation can reduce airborne transmission of COVID-19 and likely other respiratory illnesses in the future."

Having enough levels of fresh outdoor air has other health benefits and could improve the cognitive performance of students.- Amy Li

She said good air ventilation is much more complicated than simply opening up a window for fresh air.

"We cannot open windows all the time. It depends on the weather conditions," said Li. "If it's a windy day, you may receive a huge amount of air flow, but there are also other times where you may get no wind at all."

She said improving air quality has potential to do more than just prevent future outbreaks.

"Improving air quality and supply, having enough levels of fresh outdoor air, has other health benefits and could improve the cognitive performance of students."

However, Li said installing CO2 sensors in a classroom should also involve proper training and education for students and staff.

"It's important to communicate with the teachers and students, especially if there's a display on the screen, so that they could know what could be the meaning of the measurements... and if something is not right."

Gerard said the pilot is a longer-term project that does not yet have a fixed start or end date.