£2.7m initiative for air quality filters in London schools
The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has launched a new £2.7 million programme to deliver indoor air quality filters to hundreds of schools across the capital.
Filters play a vital role in reducing air pollution by helping remove particulates that are generated indoors or enter the classroom from nearby sources, like roads.
At least 200 schools across London will receive HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate) filters, which have been proven to be effective at reducing levels of the key pollutant PM2.5, benefiting the health of pupils and staff.
The programme, delivered by WSP, SmartAir and the Walk Wheel Cycle Trust (formally Sustrans), will bring cleaner air to tens of thousands of pupils in their classrooms, which is associated with lower rates of respiratory infection, better attendance and potentially improved academic outcomes (3). Participating schools will receive one filter per classroom where possible, with the roll-out focused in areas of poorer air quality and higher levels of deprivation. The Mayor believes access to clean air is a social justice issue, with poor air quality disproportionately affecting more deprived areas.
The Mayor’s funding will also provide a support programme for the schools and indoor air quality monitors to understand the impact of the filters, as well as lessons and assemblies on air quality to raise awareness of the impact of air pollution amongst staff and pupils. The filters are energy efficient and automatically switch off outside of school hours to keep energy costs low.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “I’ve made tackling air pollution a top priority as Mayor and along with parents and teachers, I want every single child to breathe clean air in and around their school. In those vital early years, the difference this can make to young people’s health and wellbeing can be lifechanging. These filters have been proven to significantly lower levels of pollution, PM2.5."
The School Filters Programme is part of wider work to tackle London’s air pollution.
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