Indoor Air Quality Testing Should NOT Be The First Move

Many times, teachers, parents, administrators and other school stakeholders want to have their schools "tested" to assure themselves of "good indoor air quality".  This is usually not the first move that responsible parties should make.  Why do health professionals recommend caution and a great deal of thought before testing the air? 

There are a number of reasons.

  1. There Are No Standards:

    There are no appropriate standards for indoor air quality (IAQ) in environments such as schools and residences. 

  2. The Lack Of Enforceable Standards Makes Interpretation A Tricky Business: 

    It is difficult to interpret the results of air testing. This can add to the confusion and create an air of mistrust between the stakeholders and the administration that ordered the testing. 

  3. Indoor Air Quality Testing Can Be Very Expensive & Often Not Useful In Correcting Problems. 


    With limited school maintenance budgets, it is important to evaluate whether funds spent on IAQ testing may be better spent on fixing problems that can be identified without expensive testing.

Therefore - DO NOT TEST IF:

  • The results cannot be interpreted
  • Results will add no meaningful information
  • Just because someone wants it done

Here is a useful fact sheet that provides more information about IAQ testing:

Indoor Air Quality Testing Should Not Be The First Move

We recommend that this fact sheet be posted on all school district and school web sites, and be distributed to all staff and parents.