Air quality in school environments is of particular interest due to the significant amount of time children spend in these settings. Children, being a particularly sensitive demographic, are exposed to various pollutants at school or kindergarten. In this regard, our studies have focused on monitoring the concentrations of three main categories of pollutants: VOCs (volatile organic compounds), VICs and PM (particulate matter). We conducted two experimental campaigns in seven classrooms within public educational institutions. The average concentration values of TVOC (total volatile organic compounds) ranged from 554 µg/m³ to 2518 µg/m³, of CO₂ from 1055 ppm to 2050 ppm, of NH₃ (Ammonia) from 843.2 µg/m³ to 1403.4 µg/m³, of PM2.5 from 25.1 µg/m³ to 89.9 µg/m³, and of PM10 from 63.7 µg/m³ to 307.4 µg/m³. In most instances, the registered values exceeded the limit values set by national or international regulations. Furthermore, this study highlights the significant impact of a heat recovery ventilation system in improving indoor air quality by substantially reducing the levels of CO₂ and PM. However, it also underscores the need for further measures to more efficiently reduce TVOC concentrations. The aim of our paper was to enhance the understanding of pollution levels in school environments, increase awareness of the importance of indoor air quality, and highlight the adverse effects of polluted air on the health of occupants.

One severe public health problem globally is air pollution, as exposure to air pollutants threatens the health of people everywhere in the world. Agriculture generates waste, the improper disposal of such waste producing adverse environmental effects like air pollution, etc. In this context, our research focused on capitalizing on animal waste (wool) and agro-industrial by-products (sunflower seed husks) as additives in two types of aqueous dispersion finishing/protection products, serving as binders. The paper presents the results from the monitoring of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emissions of four types of innovative multi-layer finishes made with such types of waste.