Transnational Adaption Actions for Integrated Indoor Air Quality Management
The WHO and DG Health have warned that air pollution – indoor or outdoor – is a major environmental health concern, as it can lead to serious health effects. Much progress has been made in the EU to improve outdoor air quality and reduce the emission of pollutants.However, indoor air quality also requires attention because it is where we spend most of our time. Indoor exposure to air pollutants may occur in any indoor environment e.g. schools. According to the literature, the most vulnerable to the adverse effects of air pollution are children aged 6-14, 11% of total CE Programme area’s population.
The InAirQ project aims to describe the health impacts of the indoor air quality on the vulnerable population and to take action to improve the healthy environment in schools in the CE area. The project will develop a Virtual Health Repository to help the decision makers monitor the indoor air quality and its change. National action plans will be elaborated, tested and implemented to provide a set of measures to improve the indoor environment for the pilot schools and national/regional health control bodies. Capacity building courses will be organised, tailored to the school managers and local/regional school operating bodies for the best implementation of the action plans, while the Transnational Environmen Quality Forum will provide the follow up of the project results and sustain the co-operation to the potential stakeholders.
The knowledge providing partner national/regional health authorities and institutions will provide the baselines of the indoor air quality and its health impacts at transnational scale. Local and regional authorities, network of schools and the pilote schools will contribute to elaborating, testing and implementing the action plans and will conduct capacity building activities. The project activities have been structured to maximise opportunities for cooperation and the pooling of experience and ideas at the transnational level.