Work

Do-it-yourself air purifiers: Educator attitudes and perceptions in a K-12 public school district

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: School indoor air quality (IAQ) has long been overlooked, despite its known impact on staff and student health and academic performance. In response to heightened concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic, our team partnered with a public school district (PreK–12) in Connecticut to distribute 200 low-cost, do-it-yourself Corsi-Rosenthal (C-R) box air purifiers. At the end of the 2021–2022 academic year, educators were surveyed to understand their experiences with the C-R boxes. The survey included both Likert-scale and open-ended questions. Our results show that most educators found the boxes quiet (60%), easy to move (90%), and durable (71%). 31% reported turning them off during instruction time to reduce interference with educators’ voices. Interestingly, lower-grade educators were significantly more likely than high school educators to report C-R box sound as an issue (p<0.025). Only one third of educators believed C-R boxes were a distraction. When asked about the perceived effectiveness of C-R boxes, nearly half (48%) were unsure, and many indicated an interest in learning more. Overall, educators reported that C-R boxes were low burden, easy to manage, not distracting, and a positive experience. Future work will focus on addressing the feedback around C-R box effectiveness, using objective tools to increase engagement and address concerns around maintenance. • Perceptions of C-R boxes were evaluated in a pilot feasibility study • PreK-12 th grade educators reported C-R boxes as low burden and not distracting • C-R boxes were durable, yet educators were unaware of their efficacy

Source: Indoor Environments

DOI: 10.1016/j.indenv.2025.100128