United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Air and Radiation
6609J
EPA-402-F-00-010J
April 2001
CASE STUDY
FAIRGROUNDS JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL
Nashua School District, Nashua, New Hampshire
Indoor Air Qualify
Tools for Schools
"The process
described in
the IAQ TfS
Kit was an
effective
way of
documenting
and
supporting
the District's
claim that a
problem
existed with
the fresh air
intake."
-}eanette Kotopoulis,
Assistant Director,
Plant Operations
Targeted by the local health department for having poor indoor air quality (IAQ),
Fairgrounds Junior High School underwent renovations between 1996 and 1997. The
school installed a new ventilation system, replaced the roof, and added classroom space.
The ventilation system supplies classrooms with 100-percent fresh air, and it is equipped
with a dehumidification system to temper the air during humid months. The air exiting
the rooms is completely exhausted to the outside.
In May 1997 after the renovations, teachers came forward with lAQ-related complaints,
ranging from fluctuating temperatures to diesel odors from idling buses that affected the
air in their classrooms. To correct these problems, school facilities staff adjusted the Energy
Management System (EMS) shortly before school closed for the summer. However, when
school reopened in early September, complaints about temperature discomfort and odors
resurfaced, along with complaints of dizziness and tingling sensations in the extremities.
School officials became concerned that much broader IAQ problems existed than they had realized.
Approach—Project Description
School Description
Located in the southern part of New Hampshire, Nashua is the second largest city in the State. The
Nashua School District consists of 16 schools serving approximately 13,000 students.
Built in the early 1960s, Fairgrounds Junior High School is a one-story building with a flat roof. During the
2000-2001 school year, approximately 1,000 students attended grades 7-9 at Fairgrounds, the second largest
junior high school in the District. The building, which measures 119,000 square feet, is separated into three
distinct wings for each grade taught at the school. The school has approximately 100 employees.
IAQ Team
Nashua School District officials knew about IAQ issues, having piloted EPA's Indoor Air Quality Tools for
Schools (IAQ TfS) Program and Kit in 1995 at Pennichuck Junior High School. At that time, they
collaborated with the New Hampshire Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health (NHCOSH) and New
Hampshire's Department of Environmental Services. Due to the pilot program's success, the District decided in
1997 to implement the IAQ TfS Kit at Fairgrounds Junior High School to address ongoing IAQ problems.
The school principal and two teachers introduced the IAQ TfS Program at a staff meeting. They asked for
volunteers to join the IAQ Team, which would be the foundation for implementing the IAQ TfS Kit.
Fairground's IAQ Team included three teachers, the principal, and the school nurse. The District's
Assistant Director of Plant Operations, who had assisted the Pennichuck IAQ Team during the pilot
program, served as the IAQ Coordinator for Fairgrounds.
Problem Identification
The IAQ Team distributed a health survey to teachers and staff at a faculty meeting, requesting
information about health problems experienced during work hours.
From the completed health surveys, the IAQ Team realized that certain symptoms—lightheadedness,
tingling of the extremities, rapid heart palpitations—were unique to teachers working in the 9th grade
wing. The classrooms there were warm, and exhaust odors permeated the space at various times.
Examining the air-handling unit (AHU) located in the 9th grade wing of the school, the Team discovered
that three of the six coils were defective as a result of improper manufacturing or installation. These
defects caused freon to leak from the AHU and leave insufficient charges in the coils. As a result, the
rooms were not properly dehumidified or cooled.
(over)
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FAIRGROUNDS JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL
Nashua School District, Nashua, New Hampshire
The IAQ TfS
Kit educated
the IAQ Team
about
identifying
IAQ problems,
giving them
the leverage
they needed to
prove that the
ventilation
system was
malfunctioning
in the 9th
grade wing.
The IAQ Team also discovered that the fresh air intake for the 9th grade wing was close to a small parking
lot and a road. The Team believed that bus traffic in front of the school and traffic to and from the
elementary school across the street might be a contributing factor, so they decided to test the classroom
carbon dioxide (CO2) levels using a fresh air diffuser. Because the new ventilation system delivered 100-
percent fresh air to the classrooms, the CC>2 levels of the classroom [discharged] air should have been equal
to the outside CO2 levels, typically ranging from 350 to 450 parts per million (ppm).
For most of the day, classroom CC>2 levels were consistent with normal levels for outside air; however,
spikes occurred when buses were idling in the bus loop or when other vehicles were idling in the parking
lot. In fact, these spikes represented a rapid, significant rise in CO2 by 250-350 ppm. Further investigation
showed that the fresh air intake for the 9th grade wing was located downwind from the bus loop and the
elementary school across the street. As many as 25 to 30 cars idled in front of the fresh air intake several
times a day to pick up and drop off students enrolled in the school.
After reviewing the CC>2 data, the Team reasoned that the following factors must have been overlooked
when the new ventilation system was installed:
• Bus traffic to the elementary school across the street.
• Kindergarten traffic during the middle of the day.
• Total amount of vehicle traffic near the junior high school.
Odor problems were also noted in the 7th and 8th grade wings of the school and the IAQ Team also
discovered that some of the roof insulation had not been removed during renovations and that parts of the
roof had collapsed, allowing water to seep in from poor drainage. Improperly installed roof drains were
found over the cafeteria, which created mildew odors, leaks, and stained ceiling tiles.
Lessons Learned
Short-Term Solutions
Using the IAQ TfS Kit enabled the IAQ team to identify problems and gave them the leverage to prove
that the ventilation system was malfunctioning in the 9th grade wing. The health survey and formal
investigations led to the prompt identification of problems. Fortunately, repairs to the roof and ventilation
system fell within the one-year warranty time frame and were performed at no charge to the District.
The contractors who installed the system agreed that vehicle traffic significantly affected the fresh air
intake in the 9th grade wing, reflecting a design flaw. As an effective temporary measure, charcoal filters
were installed in the air-handling unit to absorb the fumes until the air intake was relocated to roof in the
summer of 1998.
In 2000, Fairgrounds Junior High School replaced the insulation and roofing in the 7th and 8th grade
wings and repaired the roof drains over the cafeteria.
Long-Term Practices and Policies
The relocation of the fresh air intake successfully addressed all the odor issues in the 9th grade wing.
Teachers and staff have not reported temperature or odor problems in any section of the school since the
improvements took place. Because contractors' warranties covered most of the repairs and upgrades, the
District avoided significant repair costs. Staff at Fairgrounds were thrilled to have identified the problems
in a timely manner by using the IAQ TfS Kit.
Since the initial pilot in 1995, nine additional Nashua School District schools have implemented the IAQ
TfS Program.
For more information, contact:
Jeanette Kotopoulis, Assistant Director
Plant Operations, 141 Ledge Street, Nashua, NH 03060-3071
kotopoulisj@nashua.edu/Tel. 603-594-4329'/Fax. 603-594-4350
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