Environmental Air Quality and Cognitive Health in South Asia: Analyzing Hazardous Particulate Matter Levels in Bengaluru’s Highly Urbanized Educational Settings

Abstract

Air pollution, both indoors and outdoors, constitutes a significant public health risk that leads to cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders, and impaired cognitive abilities. Rapid urbanization and thermal intensification in Indian megacities like Bengaluru exacerbate these concerns; yet, research on Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) in educational institutions is still limited.   The current study investigated indoor and outdoor air quality at seven urban educational institutions and one control location for the duration of one year (November 2022–October 2023). The primary pollutants studied comprised particulate matter (PM1, PM2.5, PM10), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and volatile organic compounds (VOC). The data revealed that institutions such as Al-Ameen (PM2.5: 76.7 µg/m³; PM10: 179.5 µg/m³), Hobegowda (75.9 µg/m³; 182.5 µg/m³), and MES (79.3 µg/m³; 183.0 µg/m³) demonstrated elevated concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 in comparison to Santhosh School, Bishop Cotton College, Little Angels School, BET College, and the control site (63.5 µg/m³; 123.7 µg/m³). These findings underscore the compelling need for substantial IEQ research in Indian classrooms and indicate the potential health concerns encountered by students in heavily urbanized areas.