ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Indoor Environmental Quality and Student Performance in Naturally Ventilated Classrooms
1
Faculty of Environmental Engineering and Energy, Lublin University of Technology,
Lublin, Poland
Submission date: 2025-06-30
Final revision date: 2025-10-18
Acceptance date: 2025-11-12
Online publication date: 2025-12-01
Publication date: 2025-12-01
Corresponding author
Bernard Połednik
Faculty of Environmental Engineering and Energy, Lublin University of Technology, Nadbystrzycka 40B, 20-618
Faculty of Environmental Engineering and Energy, Lublin University of Technology, Nadbystrzycka 40B, 20-618
Civil and Environmental Engineering Reports 2025;35(4):192-211
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Measurements of indoor air constituent concentrations and thermal parameters were conducted in three naturally ventilated classrooms during the heating season using low-cost sensors. The presence of students significantly affected indoor air composition and microclimatic conditions, leading to elevated CO2 levels and higher concentrations of selected pollutants. During lessons, the acceptability of indoor air quality (ACC) decreased, while the percentage of dissatisfied students (PD), determined based on ACC, increased. The newly developed 10-point Indoor Environmental Quality Index (IEQI), integrating both indoor air quality and thermal conditions, and relative work performance (RWP) also deteriorated. The poorest indoor environmental conditions were observed in the classroom with the oldest students, likely due to their physiological maturation and increased use of personal care products, both contributing to higher emissions. In this classroom, the average IEQI reached 3.0 during lessons, ACC dropped to 0.4, PD rose to 23 %, and RWP decreased by nearly 4 % compared to ideal indoor conditions. Real-time IEQI tracking provides valuable insights into air quality and thermal conditions trends, supporting more effective ventilation or air-conditioning strategies and enhancing student well-being and performance.
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| eISSN: | 2450-8594 |
| ISSN: | 2080-5187 |
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