Air pollution measurements in the classrooms and their implementation into the high school physics and science education

One of the key challenges in high school physics and environmental education is teaching students the methods of scientific research and emphasizing its practical applications. An especially effective strategy involves engaging students in conducting simple environmental measurements, processing and analyzing the data, as well as comparing their results with those provided by professional monitoring stations.

In this high school methodological research, we present the results of a student project developed to investigate classrooms air quality. The project was carried out in three different schools in Hungary, Serbia, and Slovakia. During the tests, we observed changes in the concentrations of carbon dioxide and PM2.5 particles throughout the day in classrooms and school gym using the AirVisual Pro Monitor with a 5-minute time resolution. The data was downloaded via a mobile application. During the measurements, we monitored the effects of various factors, such as ventilation and cleaning, on indoor air quality and tracked changes in CO₂ concentration during lessons. The measured results were compared with data from nearby air pollution monitoring stations. The installation of outdoor AirVisual Pro Monitors is currently in progress.

Our goal is to educate students about the health risks of air pollution and familiarize them with health-related limit values of various pollutants. Furthermore, an important objective is to help students understand how they can influence air quality in indoor environments. This joint project offers an opportunity to compare the environmental attitudes of students from different countries and to promote the spread of the “good practices” we have developed.