Lombardy schools, clean air with photocatalytic paints and sensors

Photocatalytic paints, i.e. capable of cleaning the air of atmospheric pollutants thanks to nanotechnology, to make schools 'breathe'. And monitor, through a system of sensors and hubs, the healthiness of the air in classrooms. It is called "The school that breathes", the project for the almost 8 thousand schools in Lombardy promoted and launched by REair, in collaboration with Acrobatica. Starting point, the Gonzaga institute in Milan. "Here, thanks to REair's application, as early as August 2020 in the middle of the pandemic, of eCoating photocatalytic technology on a total surface area of 24 thousand square metres including classrooms, corridors, canteens, meeting rooms, offices, lecture halls, gyms, toilets and the installation of 80 devices, including sensors and hubs for measuring air quality," the promoters emphasise, "it has been possible to keep the levels of microbial load on surfaces close to zero and the levels of Vo, among the main indoor pollutants, in the environments below the risk thresholds set by the regulations in force during the five years since the application was launched.

An action that, as Roberto Cottini, head of the technical department at the Gonzaga Institute in Milan, points out, 'has allowed us to guarantee continuous and constant monitoring of the parameters, thus enabling us to take corrective action in real time'.

The 'Breathing School' project is aimed at the 7,687 schools and parish schools in Lombardy attended daily by more than 1.3 million pupils, from pre-school to secondary school.

"With this initiative we want to raise awareness of the issues of air pollution and surface protection in indoor environments, which are among the top five environmental risks to public health worldwide," says Raffaella Moro, CEO of REair. "Assessing the quality of the air we breathe inside school buildings is one of the most effective preventive measures to avoid possible negative effects on public health. It is essential for schools to invest in this type of intervention because it allows them to create healthier, safer and more welcoming environments, benefiting not only the students but the entire school community". For Anna Marras, CEO of EdiliziaAcrobatica Spa, the project "has the power to make a concrete contribution to improving the quality of the air that children and young people breathe for many hours of the day. As a mother and grandmother, and obviously also as a businesswoman, I believe that the issue of the environment and its protection is a priority, and therefore each of us is called upon to do our part'.

To support the initiative, REair and Acrobatica are launching a real challenge aimed at all Lombardy's schools. "The first ones to join will be considered as strategic partners in the ambitious mission of spreading sustainability and wellbeing inside classrooms in Lombardy, and - the promoters state - will be rewarded with exclusive conditions, including the free supply, for 1,000 square metres, of breathable wall paint for interiors, formulated with raw materials of high technological innovation, Voc-free and compliant with Cam and Esg criteria".