The relationship between the economic status of a population and the indoor air quality of the school serving the population
School Name
Spring Valley High School
Grade Level
10th Grade
Presentation Topic
Psychology and Sociology
Presentation Type
Non-Mentored
Abstract
Previous studies suggest that harmful environmental pollutants such as airborne particulates may disproportionately impact people of lower incomes. The purpose of this study was to determine whether environmental justice exists in public elementary schools. It was hypothesized that schools with higher percentages of minority students and students who qualify for free or reduced lunch would have poorer air quality. Air quality was measured using air sample collectors, from which the number of particles deposited over a five-day period could be counted under a microscope and examined. The mean particle count of each school was taken and a linear regression test was run to determine if a significant correlation was present. The r- and p-values from the regression analysis were assessed. The test for demographic and lunch data reported r(4)=0.796, p=0.204 and r(4)=0.781, p=0.219 respectively. This indicated that the correlation was not significant and as such, the hypothesis was rejected. However, an ANOVA test found a significant difference does exist between at least one pair of means, with F(2,14)=31.96, p<0.001. Prompted by the ANOVA results, additional tests were done to determine if a relationship existed between particle count and other variables. No correlation was found between particle count and variables of traffic, school age, or HVAC. Analysis of internal differences indicated significant differences between classrooms in an individual school. In addition, the potential impact of the indoor air quality on student performance in standardized science test score was found to be significant with r(4)= -0.960, p=0.040.
Recommended Citation
Imran, Jareer, "The relationship between the economic status of a population and the indoor air quality of the school serving the population" (2018). South Carolina Junior Academy of Science. 203.
https://scholarexchange.furman.edu/scjas/2018/all/203
Location
Neville 321
Start Date
4-14-2018 8:30 AM
Presentation Format
Oral and Written
The relationship between the economic status of a population and the indoor air quality of the school serving the population
Neville 321
Previous studies suggest that harmful environmental pollutants such as airborne particulates may disproportionately impact people of lower incomes. The purpose of this study was to determine whether environmental justice exists in public elementary schools. It was hypothesized that schools with higher percentages of minority students and students who qualify for free or reduced lunch would have poorer air quality. Air quality was measured using air sample collectors, from which the number of particles deposited over a five-day period could be counted under a microscope and examined. The mean particle count of each school was taken and a linear regression test was run to determine if a significant correlation was present. The r- and p-values from the regression analysis were assessed. The test for demographic and lunch data reported r(4)=0.796, p=0.204 and r(4)=0.781, p=0.219 respectively. This indicated that the correlation was not significant and as such, the hypothesis was rejected. However, an ANOVA test found a significant difference does exist between at least one pair of means, with F(2,14)=31.96, p<0.001. Prompted by the ANOVA results, additional tests were done to determine if a relationship existed between particle count and other variables. No correlation was found between particle count and variables of traffic, school age, or HVAC. Analysis of internal differences indicated significant differences between classrooms in an individual school. In addition, the potential impact of the indoor air quality on student performance in standardized science test score was found to be significant with r(4)= -0.960, p=0.040.
