Profile of bioaerosol contaminants in primary school classrooms: Systematic literature review 2016 - 2020

People spend plenty of time in indoor environments, thus the exposure to indoor air pollutants contributes greatly to one’s health, well-being and productivity. Bioaerosol is one of the main contaminants, especially in primary schools, as children are less likely to wash their hands, perform protected coughing and sneezing, and they are more likely to make indirect physical contact with each other; such as exchanging belongings, which may promote the spread of infectious diseases and can ultimately affect their academics. This study aims to evaluate the level of bioaerosol contamination in primary schools and to investigate risk factors associated with its exposure. The methodology is a detailed systematic literature review that evaluates available data regarding bioaerosol contaminants in primary school classrooms between the year 2016-2020. Google Scholar and Portal Garuda were used as the main databases. 16 literatures were selected; 11 measured bacteria, 10 measured fungi and 1 measured virus, active or passive were employed for the bioaerosol sampling strategy. It was found that in subtropical countries, the average colony count of bacteria, fungi and viruses are higher compared to tropical countries. Factors such as those related to the weather, the building itself as well as its occupants, are associated with bioaerosol contaminations at school. More studies are needed to describe bioaerosol levels at classrooms.