The Brief
Genano and St. Joseph College needed an independent assessment of indoor air quality conditions across three classrooms, with the specific aim of evaluating how effectively Genano’s purification and ventilation units improved air quality relative to a classroom with natural ventilation only.
What We Did
Airscan developed the measurement plan and evaluation strategy, then ran the campaign across all three classrooms simultaneously — two equipped with a Genano purification unit and ventilation system respectively, one serving as an unmodified control. Measuring across a consistent set of parameters in all three spaces allowed for a like-for-like comparison of how each environment performed under normal occupied conditions.
How It Works
With two treated classrooms and one control running in parallel, the study could isolate the effect of each Genano unit rather than relying on before-and-after comparisons in a single space. CO2 served as the primary marker for ventilation adequacy — a reliable indicator of how well fresh air is being cycled through an occupied room — while particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide tracked infiltration of outdoor pollutants. Aerosol concentration, particularly relevant given the COVID-19 context at the time of the study, was also monitored as a proxy for airborne transmission risk.
Outcomes
The results validated the performance claims made by the manufacturer across both device types. The ventilation unit kept indoor CO2 consistently below 800 ppm — the recommended ceiling for occupied classrooms — and demonstrably limited the infiltration of outdoor particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide. Compared to simply opening windows, it also performed better on heat retention, reducing the thermal trade-off that schools typically face when trying to ventilate naturally. The purification unit showed a measurable reduction in indoor aerosol concentration, with direct implications for airborne transmission risk in the classroom.
