Assessment of Indoor Air Quality and Associated Health, Environmental and Social Risks in Academic Laboratories of Educational Institutions

The project titled “Assessment of Indoor Air Quality at GCT, Coimbatore” highlights how air quality varied across different campus laboratories and how environmental conditions influenced pollutant levels. The study found that pollutant concentrations increased in October compared to September, mainly due to rising humidity, while carbon monoxide (CO) levels decreased because of enhanced oxidation. CO emissions were negligible in the Concrete, Carpentry, and Chemical labs due to the lack of combustion activities. Among all spaces, the Thermal Lab showed the highest pollutant levels, followed by Carpentry, Concrete, Chemical, and Welding labs. The pollutants ranked in dominance as PM₂.₅ (932 µg/m³) > TVOCs (8.303 mg/m³) > formaldehyde (3.404 mg/m³) > CO₂ (790 ppm) > CO (301 ppm), identifying PM₂.₅ as the most critical pollutant. According to the Indoor Air Quality Index (IAQI), the Thermal Lab had the poorest air quality (≈500, hazardous), followed by Carpentry (≈460), Concrete (≈410), Chemical (≈370), and Welding (≈320). Overall, air quality worsened from September to October due to higher humidity, with PM₂.₅ being the main contributor to poor IAQ. The findings emphasize the urgent need for better ventilation, humidity control, and regular indoor air quality monitoring to maintain a healthier indoor environment. IAQI values revealed hazardous conditions in several laboratories, especially the Thermal and Carpentry units, underscoring the need for improved ventilation strategies, pollutant source control, and real-time IAQ surveillance. The study’s outcomes align closely with global IAQ research trends in educational and laboratory environments [1]–[20], reinforcing the importance of humidity-aware IAQ management to safeguard occupant health and ensure safe learning conditions. To overcome the aforementioned problems, it is necessary to have a comprehensive solution to mitigate them based on the requisite control systems for environmental issues, therefore developing specialized laboratory environments. The lab environments include implementing additional air intake/exhaust systems in thermal and welding labs; dust and VOC (volatile organic compounds) controls in carpentry labs; containment of chemicals during chemical lab processing; dust suppression techniques used during concrete labs operation; and utilizing health related issues ie; more exposure management and use of personal protection equipment (PPE). Finally support for social initiatives should also be procured through PA research and educational programmes on workplace safety, as well as using technology such as real-time Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) monitoring and improved work environments as means to provide support to the laboratories.

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